Welcome to Earth, 2013
by Bronzedamazon
Summary: I was headed home from work one night when a crazy lady in cosplay stuck a gun in my face as she tried to steal my car. After realizing that it was Commander Jane Shepard, I'm now on a mission to take her to Bioware in Canada with my brother who can't seem to keep his hands off of her and his mouth shut.
1. Chapter 1

"Sleep, I just want to sleep." I let my forehead smack my desk at work, allowing my blonde hair fall into my face as I close my eyes. "I haven't had a day off in two weeks and this three to midnight schedule is killing me." I groan.

"Amber, you have ten minutes until you are out of here for two days, quit being so dramatic." A sweet feminine voice coos to me from a cubical over.

"That doesn't mean that I am any less tired at the moment boss." I open my eyes and sit up, brushing my hair behind my ears. "I just need a break, school and work… Work and school… I need a day without either." It wasn't like working in a call center was the most difficult job in the world, but asking customers if there is anything else you can help them with was an opening to getting screamed at.

"That's why we have something called vacation. You would know what it feels like to take a break if you actually used your time off." My boss stated with a condescending tone.

"Vacation is for chumps." I stand up looking at the clock, "Can't I just leave? It's not busy, no one has called the 1-800 number in hours, and I could really use the head start on the weekend."

"I suppose I could let you leave a few minutes early." She smirks at me as I turn to look at her, "Just this once."

"Awesome!" Suddenly revitalized, I close the system down and smile at her, "Thanks boss, I owe you." As fast as I can manage, I grab my purse and head for the nearest exit to leave the building. The wind blows against my skin giving me goose bumps as I walk out the door. I start to make the nightly beeline for my car, it's an old worn out thing that was a hand me down from an older brother but it's reliable enough to help me make the one hour commute to work each day.

I stick my key in the door and throw my purse on the floor of the passenger seat. The door slams shut as the wind grabs it, causing me to jump at the unexpected noise. I place the key in the ignition and turn on my MP3 player as I try to calm myself back down before taking off. Speeding out of the parking lot and down the street in front of the building I reached my first stop. Usually, I take the left turn since it takes you to the interstate and therefore is the fastest way to start my hour long drive home. Leaning forward in my car, I can see the lights of several cop cars and ambulances that are intervening in an accident and blocking the frontage road and my direct route home.

"Damn." Taking the left turn was now out of the question. I switched the blinker and decided to make the right turn down some back country road. There was nothing down this way but a few cows and farmland that had been strategically placed in the middle of the city for some reason. I came to a creepy intersection and stopped the car.

"Get out!" A woman screamed at me dressed in black and red armor, "Get out of the damn…" She looked at my grey Ford Tempo, "vehicle?" She questioned.

"Holy shit!" I looked at the gun in her hand and at my old Ford Tempo, "Here, take the damn thing." I tried to open the door but she stood there staring at me, "Hey! You can't pull a gun on me then act all uninterested!" I yelled at her.

"It is a vehicle isn't it?" She looked at me with steely blue eyes and bright red hair that was cut to her chin, "I just wasn't aware that any planets with humans were still so primitive."

"Look lady, it's my car. It's the best I can afford and you are the one taking it from me at some ungodly hour in the middle of nowhere. Beggars can't be choosers and some garbage." I again tried to open the door.

"You have a smart mouth." She looks at me and bends down to my window, "It's going to get you in trouble."

"Lady, I've heard that my whole life. Now move so I can give you this damn piece of shit car and move on with my life." I looked at the N7 logo across the chest of her armor, "You're dressed in cosplay? I recognize that armor from Mass Effect. What the hell are you doing out here?"

"What's cosplay?" She looked at me narrowing her eyes.

"Where you dress up like a character from a video game or comic book, you know like, pretend. Evidently you are supposed to be the commander, funny I always pictured her as a blonde personally. How the hell did you end up out here?"

"Short version of the story, I had to make a difficult decision and I woke up here." She looks at me as she lowers her weapon, "Name is Jane, Jane Shepard."

"Riiiight, you're that into your character. Whatever... Look it's late, I have to go. If you aren't going to kill me can I give you a ride somewhere?"

"Can you take me to a data console so I can figure out where I am?" She looks at her wrist "My damn omni-tool isn't working out here."

"Damn, you are really into this. Alright sure, climb in the other side. Careful, the door sticks." I watch her run to the other side, "Lift up on the handle." She sits in the seat, cramped with the armor on.

"This is not comfortable. Reminds me of when I started the N-series training." Jane looks at the dashboard and then closes the door.

"Okay, if you say so Jane. I'm Amber, I'll take you back to civilization. There is a shopping center about five minutes down this road over here, where it meets back up with the city. Maybe you can find some answers or call someone to take you back to you convention. I've seen some Mass Effect get ups in my day but that one… "

"Mass Effect? You must be talking about the technology that we've been using for ages now. I can't believe that you are still driving something that stays on the ground and uses dead fossils."

"Don't hate on my car, it's taking you back to someone who gives a damn about a freak lost in the middle of nowhere wearing fake armor." I snap at her.

She looks at me and shakes her head, "This planet looks untouched from the war. How did you end up so lucky?" Jane squirms in her seat.

"What war are you… Oh, yea yea yea, the reapers and destroying the galaxy, all that stuff from Mass Effect. You are really into this aren't you?" I look around the intersection before I start driving again. Jane continues to wiggle in the seat as I drive the five minutes to the shopping center.

"You cannot be serious? Where are all the consoles?" Jane looks at me at shakes her head, "This all seems so wrong."

"Look Jane," I say sarcastically pulling into the shopping center, "This might be funny for you, but it's Friday night and I have things to do. You already pulled a gun on me and screwed up my whole flow of things."

"Again with your smart mouth," Jane nods her head, "I'm telling you, there is something wrong with this whole situation. I made the decision like that little bastard told me to, and now I'm here with some smart ass kid."

"That's it! Take the car or get out of the car! Either way get me the hell away from you." I scoff at her, "You are so into whatever role play you've concocted that I can't even talk to you like a normal person." I grab the steering wheel while I look at her.

"Look, I'm Jane Shepard, I had to make the decision to control the reapers and ended up here. The last thing I can remember was a bunch of blue light and bleeding from my gut. Now, here I am wearing this armor that looks brand new talking to your smart ass."

"You've got to be kidding me." I throw my head back into the head rest, "Please tell me this is some nightmare and I am going to wake up any minute." I turn my head to look at her and see Shepard smirk.

"Does that mean you are going to help me? I mean I could just pull the gun back out." She gives me an evil smile.

"I just wanted a damn day off, you know without school or work… Why? I shouldn't have tried to get off early." I sigh as I put the car in drive.

"Just take me to something Alliance related and I'm sure we can sort this out there." Shepard tries to make herself more comfortable in the car as I pull out of the shopping center.

"It's late, I'm going home and I can show you exactly why I think you are crazy." I smile.


	2. Chapter 2

The next thirty minutes were spent in near silence. Usually on the way home, I pick up the cell phone and called the boyfriend, rehashing the events of the day with him while he is a few hundred miles away at school. Tonight I was scared to make any sudden movements, there was a crazy lady with a N7 uniform and a gun sitting next to me who called herself Jane Shepard.

"Just where are we going?" Jane asked me with a hint of doubt in her voice.

"I'm taking you to my place. I think I have a few things that you need to see and I don't want to be anywhere public when you see them." I hit the blinker to change lanes, "I don't need you freaking out in public."

"Freaking out in public?" She scoffed as she adjusted herself in the seat of my car. "I don't freak out."

"Right, I mean you pulled a gun on me out in the middle of nowhere. I can only imagine what kind of crap you will try to pull next. Not everyone would just shrug it off like it wasn't a big deal." I took the exit to my apartment, "Besides, it's not like that outfit you have on isn't attention grabbing."

"This outfit is armor." Jane bangs the chest plate, "It's saved my life more times than I can count."

"It stands out." I pull to a stop at a red light. "I don't need anyone asking you a question that pisses you off enough to pull that gun back out and make a scene."

"My gun is just a preventative measure to keep someone from doing something stupid." Jane looks out the window, "I don't recognize any of this." She stares at the neon lights as I make the final turn.

"Not surprising there. Just hold on a minute longer Jane, we're almost to my apartment." I push the button and watch the gate slide open. Pulling around to the back side of the apartment complex, I park the car and take notice of my brother's truck about three spots down.

"This is a residence?" Jane looks again in disbelief, "Everything seems so simple here."

"Say what you will, this is home." I take the key out of the ignition, "Let's go." I open the car door and step outside, watching as Jane does the same. "Damn you're tall." I tell her as I start walking towards the stairs.

"Well damn you're short." She rebuffs as she follows me. "I thought most people were at least six feet tall."

"I'm not short, I'm five ten. I'm taller than most women on this planet." I make it to the door and fumble through my keys. "We aren't going to be alone. Adam is here, just don't acknowledge him, he's my jerk of an older brother who likes to give me hell."

"You live with in this place with your brother. Should I be expecting any trouble from this Adam?" Jane cracks her knuckles and rolls her neck, "I mean it shouldn't be anything I can't handle."

"He won't touch you, he's just a smart ass. You _should_ get along just fine." I open the door and step inside, waiting for her to follow, "Come on." I watch as she takes my home in, peeking around the wall that divides the kitchen from the living room.

"This is a home?" Jane curls her lip slightly.

"This is my home and you are a guest, try not to be a pain since I brought you here after you pulled a flipping gun on me an hour ago." I toss the keys on the counter and start the walk towards my room.

"Amber? That you?" Adam calls from the other side of the apartment.

"Yea, I have company. She's…" The thought of explaining Jane Shepard hadn't crossed my mind, "A friend from work. We have… things to do in my room." I start to usher her towards the stairs and out of sight.

"Should I put clothes on and meet this random friend you brought home at one in the morning?" Adam starts to shuffle around.

"No!" I yell shoving Jane towards to stairs a little faster. She turns and gives me a go to hell look as I try to persuade her to get up the stairs, "I'm sure you'll being seeing plenty of her later on."

"I like the sound of that." Adam remarks as I finally get her half way up the stairs.

"Did he just insinuate that I…" Jane stopped and looked at me with her fierce blue eyes, "Because I have no problem showing him _something_ right now." She balls her fists as she stops climbing.

"Just go!" I say in a hushed tone. We reach the top of the stairs and my room and Jane crosses her arms full of attitude, "What?" I ask her.

"You just hid me from someone, and you are asking me what?" Jane scowls at me.

"Again, scary armor and a gun on your hip, do you think it's a normal thing to bring home someone at one in the morning dressed like that?" I smile, "Speaking of armor, you need something… not armor to wear." I move to my dresser on the right side of the room after closing and locking the door.

"You want me to take this off without knowing where the hell I am?" She uncrosses her arms and looks down.

"Yes, because if you want my help to figure this out, then I can't have you looking like that." I point at her and move my finger up and down, "It's bulky and makes you like five times your normal size. Once you're in normal clothes I can show you how crazy this whole damn situation really is." I grab a pair of basketball shorts and an oversized t-shirt.

"What are those?" Jane narrows her eyes.

"Call them civilian work out attire. Throw them on, take that armor off and we can go from there." I sit on the bed after I toss them to her, "Well?"

"I can't take it off alone." She smiles at me, "I need you to undo the clasps."

"Are you serious? I don't know anything about that crap! I'm a biomed student? Not some garage mechanic." She stands in front of me and points at the buckles.

"It's not complicated, just unclasp the pieces like this one and then you can show me whatever it is you need to show me." I look at the armor and start to work on loosening it. "There, now lift this over my head." She sticks her arms out.

"You said it was just the buckles!" I yell at her, "I don't want to see you naked! This is just weird on so many levels."

"Look Amber, you wanted me out of it, then help me get out of it. I don't think Garrus would mind." Jane continues to hold out her arms.

"Garrus? Right…" Evidently this Shepard was in a relationship with the turian in the game, "Whatever, let's just get this over with." I move quickly and pull her out of the top half of her uniform trying not to notice what is underneath. "There, I'm done." I pull away blushing and face my computer desk while she finishes.

"What is that thing you're looking at?" Jane asks as she redresses herself in the clothes I had given her.

"My computer, I talk to my boyfriend… My boyfriend, crap… I didn't call him. He's going to be worried." I move to the computer.

"So call him." She grabs the computer chair and sits down, "Not like I'm sitting here waiting or anything."

"What am I supposed to tell him, 'Sorry babe, I can't talk because I have Commander Jane Shepard in my room?' That's not a normal statement to make to someone. Not to mention the fact he would freak out."

"Then don't tell him yet. You were going to show me something, I've taken off the armor. So, show me already." I look at my T.V. and the game console across the room.

"Where's your gun? I don't want you shooting me when you see this." I walk over and turn the electronics on, "I mean it, no death punches or biotics or killing Amber. I'm not ready to die yet."

"There is nothing that you can show me that is going to warrant that. I fought reapers, I doubt that you can still shock me." A creepy little smile sprawls across her face.

"You'll see." I open the Mass Effect trilogy that Adam had bought me for a Christmas present and slide in the first disc. She watches as the Mass Effect logo comes across the screen and I grab the remote, "Just be calm Jane." I scroll to the option for new game.

"A game? This is a gaming system and you think I need to see this." Her eyes are glued to the T.V. as I start to select the menu options. "You are really pushing my buttons Amber, this is an epic…" A screen showing John Shepard lit up and a look of panic flashed across her face "Who and what the hell is that?"

"It's what I was trying to tell you, there is no possible way that you are really here. Jane Shepard is a character in a video game." I scroll to select a female, "See? You aren't even the default."

"Default? I'm supposed to be a guy? A video whatzit? And you… you.." Jane stood up and came over to me.

"Damn." I muttered as she towered over me, "I knew you were going to lose it."


	3. Chapter 3

Jane looks down at me with pure unadulterated anger steaming off of her. I actually can feel myself start to flinch from the daggers her eyes are giving me until the computer starts to ring. My eyes bounce across the room at the desk then back to her, she hasn't moved, taken a breath, or done anything but stare at me since I told her she was going to lose it.

"Jane, I um… I didn't mean you were going to _lose it_, I meant that you were going to…" The computer starts to ring again and I let my eyes dart back over to it. Immediately I start to pray that she isn't a biotic vanguard of some kind that's getting ready to slam me into one of the walls of the apartment.

"Can I see that thing in your hand?" The words have no inflection or emotion in them as Jane grabs the remote from me. I take a few steps, big steps, away from her as she moves towards the television. She starts to scroll through the options, pushing the buttons on the controller and trying to make sense of the menus on the system she's using. My computer rings again. "You might want to stop that, I'm not in the mood for interruptions at the moment." I can't speak, the only thing I can do is shake my head and move towards the noise that's going to get me shot by the highly trained professional.

"Can't talk." I answer the video chat without taking my eyes off Jane.

"Amber? It's almost 2 a.m., what are you doing and why aren't you answering your phone?" My boyfriend's voice echoes through the room as I continue stare at Jane, "You have someone over at this hour? I don't recognize her." I look at the screen and back at Shepard trying to decide how to explain the complicated situation.

"Maybe later when I can actually talk to you I can explain things." I mumble as I turn to face her again. She's playing with the hair color options with her mouth hanging open. "I really have to go." I say reaching to disconnect the call "I'll catch you up tomorrow I promise, I just don't want to piss her off right now." Dylan yells my name as the video call disconnects and I turn the computer off.

"I would never wear my hair like this, or like this. Who the hell thought this would be a good idea to make me look like that." Jane takes her eyes off the screen and looks at me, "I'm not the default, this is… Look at this hideous guy." She scrolls back over to John Shepard.

"Well, I mean the different sex makes for an interesting play though. Different love interests and reactions to things with some charac…" I cut myself off as I see her again giving me a look of death, "Yea, he's hideous. Why would anyone be John Shepard?"

"You can pick everything?" Jane scrolls past the physical aspects to the class selection screen, "Even this?"

"Yea, even your class. Speaking of which, what class are you?" I ask cautiously, trying to get her to give me a little information without provoking her into a tirade.

"Isn't it obvious?" She states plainly as she keeps looking at the screen in front of her.

"If it was obvious I wouldn't have asked would I? I don't need you going into some biotic conniption fit that I have to come up with some magic answer to explain later on." Jane ignores my attitude as she gets to the selection screen of her background.

"You have to be kidding me! You can choose what happened to me in the past? This is a joke!" Jane throws the controller at me, smacking me in the chest with a loud thud. I ignore the pain from the remote that was just tossed at me like a speeding baseball as she keeps staring at me, "What did you choose? Where is your Shepard?"

I look at her with a blank expression for a moment trying to decide the implications of my answer before I speak. "I uh, well…" I try not to smile, "I have a few Shepards. I mean I've played the game a dozen times, tried all the classes and romances. I've even…" Jane's hand was in my face and her head turned to the side.

"Just stop. If I hear anymore I think I'm going to throw up." She whispers as she starts to rub her forehead.

"So you're a video game character, or a really crazy lady that looks like a video game character." I shrug my shoulders and sigh, "Alright, we'll figure it out together. There are all sorts of choices that you could have been made about your background. Let's see what you got."

"What?" Jane sits on the bed, "You want me to tell you which of these preprogrammed options I am?"

"Yes, I want to know about you." I say sarcastically. "Like I said if you're some damn earthborn, survivor type, then I need to make sure and keep people from being sarcastic asses to you. I don't need someone asking a bunch of questions that are going to set you off on some rampage, I've seen what happens to those people."

"It hasn't stopped you Amber." Jane stops rubbing her temples and turns to look at me as she spoke, "I was a colony kid, born and raised on Mindoir. I watched my family and friends die in front of me." She blinks at me for a moment recalling the memory as she continued on, "Later in life I became some big damn war hero."

I nodded my head, "Alright, there's no need to open up old wounds or anything. I can't handle you getting emotional on me all of a sudden and you evidently don't want to talk about it more than that. I'm pretty familiar with those character options."

"Character options." Shepard little the words hang in the air before speaking again. "Vanguard, I'm a vanguard."

"Great, so you _are_ a biotic type. Let's not have you all glowy glowy around anyone either. Space magic like that might not go over to well here."

"My turn to ask a few questions. Where is here?" Jane bit the bullet, "Where and when the hell am I?"

"This is Earth, it's 2013. We are in the United States of America and you are in my apartment." I sit on the bed beside her, "And it's late and this whole thing is flippin' crazy."

"This is Earth? This is 2013 and I'm on earth? I'm not even born yet." Jane laughs, "That's a new one. I've died a few times but time travel is something new."

"Glad you think it's funny Jane. Not like the sudden appearance of Jane Shepard with a gun in my face was my idea of a good time. Not to mention that fact that you sitting on my bed in the middle of the night is killing my weekend plans." I plop backwards on the bed.

"Excuse me for ruining your plans. I was the one thrown back in time after trying to grab the blue pillars of death on the Crucible. I knew that stupid Catalyst kid was lying to me." She grabbed the remote from beside me and looked at the T.V.

"Wait, you were going to be in control of the reapers? Why the hell would you choose that option?" I lifted myself up to lean on my elbows and looked at her.

"It's not as though I was given the best options in the first place. I could kill them, control them, or be one with them. I wasn't about to destroy everything and kill the geth after I just ended the war with the quarians. The idea of synthesizing and joining them just felt wrong, it wasn't a decision I would want forced upon me."

"Well you sure aren't my Shepard." I paused and watched her choose her own personal options, "So you decided to control them and got sent here. That's all you remember?"

"I don't remember actually grabbing the pillars. I walked up to them and the next thing I know here I am trying to steal your vehicle. Then you bring me here and tell me I'm a fictional character from some game."

"So you didn't choose anything?" I ask, "You were going to and you were sent back here. So the war was never finished?"

"Doesn't look like it matters anymore anyway, it's 2013. I have all the time in the galaxy." Jane sits back and watched the cut scene unfold in front of her.

"You're going to sit here and play that game? Don't you already know what happens?" I look at her quizzically.

"This gives me a chance to see what happens if I chose other options, it might even give me an idea of how I got here. Let's just call it scientific research." Jane gives me a smirk as she turns to face the game again

"Playing Mass Effect in the name of science, I think I've used that excuse before when I didn't feel like studying for an exam." I pulled a blanket over myself and watched Jane's reaction to the game as she played.


	4. Chapter 4

Watching Jane scream at the television was the greatest thing I had ever seen with my own two eyes. She had created a character that looked like her, that even held the same background and class as she had at that point in her life. She watched as things unfolded like a movie in front of her, shaking her head at the dialogue or looks of a character.

"It didn't look like that. It's all backwards." She pointed at a structure on Eden Prime, "The stairs were over there, and this_ thing_ wasn't even… Why in the hell would someone put that there like that?"

"I'm amazed you aren't complaining about the graphics." I was on the bed, lying on my stomach and facing the T.V. as she played the mission where she found Ashley on Eden Prime.

"It's 2013 and your technology isn't as advanced. I can accept that. This thing that I use to make the holo of myself move is worse than controlling a Mako." Jane cranes her neck to look at me while she motions towards the game controller in her hand.

"That thing is called a controller and as far as graphics go I have nothing to compare it to but Adam's old console. The graphics on _that_ thing sucked." I brushed my fingers through my bangs as she turned back to the screen.

"I still can't believe this was considered entertainment." Jane rubs her eyes, "I just want to get to the part where I find Ash and see if it's as backwards as the rest of this looks to be."

"Yea, that's going to be fun." Suddenly the realization of just how many choices the game had hits me like a ton of bricks. Ashley being around was a choice after certain point, _a choice_. "Wait, where was Ashley the last time you saw her?"

"I left her when we made a run at the beam. She was with Garrus getting him back on the Normandy when I called for an emergency pick up." Jane murmured as a geth popped up from a hidden vantage point and took down her shields, "That doesn't happen like that!" She yelled at the screen as her character took another hit.

"In the game it does, you need to level up your character." I sigh. "It's not like what it really was when you were out there running and gunning with some optimal shield generator thingy."

"Thingy?" She asks as she pulls her character back from enemy fire, "It's not a thingy."

"Whatever. Look, we should get some sleep. There are other things we should talk about before you get to far involved in that game." I lay my head down on the bed, "Things that might bug you worse than the graphics and controller."

"Damn!" Jane shouts as she watches her shields drop again, "What other things?"

"Options, this game is all about decisions. Who lives and who dies, when you complete a mission, if you complete a mission… Options." I pick my head back up and look at her.

"Who lives and dies?" Jane goes to the menu for a moment pausing the game, "Meaning what exactly Amber?"

"Look, the decisions that you make at the beginning can effect who is around in the end." I stop before I go any further.

"Quit speaking to me in riddles and just tell me what you are saying?" Jane looks at me with a passion on her face that wasn't there a moment earlier.

"Ashley surviving on Virmire was a decision that you had to make. In the game you have the option to save Kaidan over Ashley." I look at her as she goes back to staring at the screen in silence. "Jane?"

"What else? What other things did someone think up to haunt me with?" She continues to face forward with her eyes glued to the image on the television.

"Maybe that's something we can talk about after we get some sleep." I slide my legs up underneath me to where I am sitting on my knees, "Let's rest and think about all of this craziness with a clear head in the morning."

"The big things were decisions?" Jane says in a hushed tone as she gains a blue glow. "They wanted to put me through hell for fun?"

"Jane, your biotics." I say quietly, trying not to continue pissing her off at this point, "Jane."

"Kaidan." She throws the controller at the television with inhuman force, cracking the screen and creating an incredible crashing noise that echoed throughout the apartment.

"Damn, I'm sure Adam heard that." A say in a whisper as I stick my feet back on the floor beside the bed, "Jane it's okay, you had to make a decision."

"I made that decision, I've lived with that damn decision and it's nothing more than a game." Jane runs her fingers from her right hand through her hair.

"Amber! What the hell are you doing up there?" Adam was screaming up the staircase. I looked at the busted television and the blue glowing Jane.

"Just working out a few things up here, nothing to worry about Adam," I yell back down the stairs, "Go to bed and I'll see you in a few hours!" I waited for a moment to see if I was going to hear him trudging up the stairs to investigate.

"Everything I did was fake? For fun and entertainment?" Jane looked at me, still having the same eerie biotic glow.

"No, there's no way." I speak with a strong reassurance in my voice, "Look, if you were just some character and everything was just pretend you wouldn't have biotics here in this world." Jane looks at her hands and the glow ebbs a bit.

"You don't have knowledge of element zero here?" Jane's normal demeanor pokes through the doubt for a moment.

"No, we are just barely getting the knowledge of dark space and dark energy. All that crap is still foreign to us, and here you are with biotics. Must have some truth to it then right?" I try to toss a ball of hope to Shepard.

"Evidently I was brought here for a reason, and _you're_ going to help me find the meaning in it." She nods her head at me as she regains her normal composure, "First thing at 0800, we'll start to work on this together."

"Just remember that I'm not a marine, I'm a college kid that works a crappy job and has a crappy car." I plop backwards onto the bed, "I don't operate right without 6 hours and sleep… and coffee."

"You get four hours, and the sooner you start the better. I don't believe that anything happens without some kind of reasoning behind it, you're stuck with me kid." Jane lays on the bed and closes her eyes.

"I just wanted a day off." I say as I collapse beside her and close my eyes.

* * *

"Get up, it's 0800 and time to get moving." Jane bellows at me from her side of the bed as I pull the covers back over my face. The sun was up and I was not ready to even think about whose voice I had just heard.

"Four hours? You really only let me get four hours and I don't function right without at least six hours of sleep." I moan as I roll over and squeeze my eyes shut, "I thought this was all a flipping nightmare." Jane gives me only a moment longer before moving to the end of the bed and pulling a Houdini with the blanket, leaving me cold and awake.

"Amber, get up. We can eat something downstairs in the mess as we work on the plan of what comes next." Jane balls up the blanket and tosses it to the side.

"Sleep! That's all I wanted in the first place was sleep." I open my eyes and sit up to look around the room, "Damn it's really not a flipping nightmare." I rub my hands on my face as the memories of last night file through my head, "Alright, coffee and breakfast. Most importantly is the coffee." I put my feet on the floor and stand up, making my way towards the door and down the stairs. The moment that I enter the kitchen I was greeted with Adam looking up at me from his cup of coffee.

"So what the hell were you two doing last night?" Adam asks with a sly smile on his face, "Sounds like you found someone that has a worse mouth than I do." He takes a sip of his coffee, "So you want to tell me what got broken?"

"Don't worry about it." I yawn and look over my shoulder for Jane, "Jane! You coming down here or what?" Not seeing her I move to the coffee pot while Adam stares at me.

"What did you break?" He takes another drink of his coffee and places his back against the counter.

"_I _didn't break anything. Besides that television needed to be replaced anyway." I pour what I hope is my first cup of coffee into my favorite white mug and breathe in the vapors.

"You broke the T.V.?" Adam's eyes are wide and lock onto me as I try to sip the hot, black liquid.

"I broke it." Jane's voice pounded through the air as she made her way into the kitchen. I looked at her and then to Adam as I shuddered internally, things were going to get interesting. I knew that my brother wasn't the brightest crayon in the box, but he had been around me enough to know a few key things about my hobbies and love for Mass Effect.

"Who the hell are you?" Adam looked at Jane as she made her way over to the coffee pot with me. I handed her another mug from the cabinet and stepped out of the way.

"Play nice Adam. This is a friend of mine from work, Jane." I took another sip and smiled as Jane looked him up and down.

"She looks like that one chick." He watched as Jane gave him a once over, "Like that babe I was hitting on at that comic con thing that you took me to a few months ago."

"Yea well you know me Adam, I'm a nerd when it comes to that stuff. It shouldn't really surprise you to see that I have friends that are into the same stuff I am." I try to keep him from reaching some dramatic conclusion based on the six foot tall amazon woman with bright red hair standing in the kitchen.

"I've seen your friends Amber, they all look like sorority chicks." Adam starts to ogle Jane, "She looks like she's a damn athlete that could whoop your ass."

"Yours too if you aren't careful." Jane poured her cup of coffee and placed her back against the counter, letting a smug grin come across her face. "Having a smart mouth must run in the family." Adam looks at her for another moment before tossing his hands in the air and walking out of the kitchen muttering something under his breath.

"That was fun." I place the mug on the counter and look at her, "Any idea where we start this wild goose chase?"

"I broke the one thing I found so far that was useful. We need a device that has the extranet available on it for research."

"Extranet? Maybe we can find something on the internet. I do have that computer upstairs that I use to study and talk to Dylan on. Maybe we can find something on there." I grab the coffee off the counter and start back towards my room. After climbing up the stairs I position myself at my computer desk and press the on button.

"You said internet." Jane positions herself behind me as the p.c. begins to come up, "You are still light years behind where we are when it comes to technology."

"Something like that. It's the internet here in good ole' 2013. We can talk across the globe." Guilt pangs me in my stomach as I remember hanging up on Dylan last night, "Or across the country." I mutter something incoherent as the screen reveals my Mass Effect desk top.

"You are really into this aren't you?" Jane can't help but smile as she sees the picture of her old crew plastered across the monitor.

"You have no idea how deep it goes." I smile as I launch an internet browser, "Any idea where we should start?" She motions for me to get out of her way and I quickly oblige.

After a moment or two and playing with the computer she came to terms with our ancient technology, looking at a few news sites and catching herself up on the circumstances of what is going on in our world. I laid back on the bed and was playing with my tablet as I listened to her click away on the keyboard. Jane Shepard was sitting at my computer desk, and oddly enough for the moment, I was okay with that.

Just as things finally seemed to be calm and I started to drift back to sleep there was a pinging noise beside my head where I had laid the tablet. I grabbed it and recognized it right away, I was getting another video call from Dylan. I tried to slide the button to ignore the video chat but it was to late, Jane had responded on the computer.

"Amber where the... Who the hell are you?" Dylan, the boyfriend that I had been neglecting for the past few hours, looked at Jane with knowing eyes.

"Jane, Jane Shepard. Amber, this person knows you." By this point I was hovering over her shoulder trying to come up with an excuse of who this woman was before he had a chance to put two and two together.

"Hey babe." I smiled as big as I could as I tried to get Jane away from the webcam, "I told you I'd give you a call a little later." Jane smacked my arm as I kept nudging her to get out of the way.

"She looks like someone I should know." Dylan gets closer to his screen trying to gauge if he could place her face.

"Is he as big into the video game as you are." She drinks her coffee as she points her other hand at Dylan who is staring from the other side of the computer.

"Dylan? Yea, he's a huge fan just like me." I blush a little as I try to get her out from in front of the camera.

"You know who she looks like Amber? I mean damn, she could really be the real Jane Shepard." I wince as I hear the words come out of his mouth, knowing that Jane was about to confirm his suspicions, "I mean really looks like her."

"I am her." Jane looks at him, "Commander Jane Shepard of the Normandy. Amber picked me up last night on her way home." She looked at him with a grin on her face as she let her biotics come to a pool of power in her right hand. She wiggled each of her fingers as she waved, "Nice to meet you Dylan."


	5. Chapter 5

"Nice to… meet… Amber? What the hell is going on?" The tone in Dylan's voice matched the confusion on his face.

"I think I need more coffee. You two stay here and chat." Jane pushed the chair back from the computer desk and stood beside me, "Looks like you might need a moment alone with that guy." I matched the grin on her face with one of my own as she walked back down the stairs, leaving me with yet another mess to deal with.

"Babe… I um, well let's just say I have a lot of complicated things going on right now." I took a seat on the office chair and faced the monitor, "I didn't know how to explain this last night and well…" I shrugged my shoulders and smiled at him.

"She said _Jane Shepard of the Normandy_. She looks like _her_ and sounds like _her_. What is going on?" He sat back and waited for me to regale him with the story of the past twelve hours.

"It's not like I didn't want to tell you, it's more like you aren't going to believe me. Then me picking up a total stranger at gunpoint and taking her home isn't going to make you any happier with the whole damn situation." I winced as Dylan's expression turned to one of frustration.

"You did what?!" He shouted at the computer causing me to turn down the volume, "Explain that to me one more time?"

"She pulled some fancy gun on me at a stop sign out in the middle of nowhere. Then I thought she was some crazy cosplay character for a minute and was just going to dump her somewhere. Before I knew what I was doing, she had convinced me she was sane and I brought her home. You make it sound like what I did wasn't a perfectly normal reaction to finding a woman like _that _out in the middle of nowhere." I rattled on, trying to reassure myself that there wasn't another option.

"Perfectly normal." Jane reiterated my thoughts as she appeared in the doorway with a fresh cup of coffee. She walked up behind me and put her hand on my shoulder causing me to shudder. "Now she's been tasked with figuring why I ended up here." She let her eyes meet Dylan's as a creepy little half smile unfolded on her face.

"You and _her_ are going to… But where are you?" Dylan was flooded with a thousand questions, questions I hadn't even started to discuss with Jane.

"No idea, we were looking at things on the internet trying to get an idea of what was next when you called." I smiled at him, "I have absolutely no idea what to do."

"Amber you… And then her?" Dylan shook his head as Jane motioned for me to move away from the computer.

"I don't know if you can help us kid, but I was in the middle of research." I stood up as Jane once again sat in front of the monitor, "So how do I end…" The video chat went dead and she quickly gave a coy smile, "Oops."

"Jane! Damn it, you're just going to piss him off and give me more of a migraine than I already have." I grabbed the tablet from the bed and tried to call him back.

"I was in the middle of looking up information on the maker of this quote unquote game." Jane said with a curt smile on her face.

"Whatever." I looked at the screen on the tablet as Dylan reappeared with an expression of shock on his face.

"Did she just hang up on me?" He asked as I positioned myself on the bed looking at him. "Evidently she isn't full out paragon."

"Uh no." I watched her click on the keys and mouse before going back to Dylan, "She's more like a colony/war hero type."

"That should be interesting being that you _are_ the paragon type." Dylan was quiet for a moment before he flashed a sly smile at me, "No idea where to start hunh?"

"None, I'm so flipping lost Dyl. I am stuck, I mean really stuck. She already broke the T.V. and does the whole glowing biotic thing at random. I guess the trip to see you at school is going to have to wait." I sigh as I look at Jane, "So much for the great weekend."

"Just bring her." He smiles, "Bring her and we can figure it out together here."

"Are you crazy? What the hell is being there going to solve?" I look at him and looked at her, "That's just going to make things worse if anything. Not to mention the thought of being alone in a car with her?" Thoughts of the last time I went to school to visit him begin to crawl through my head and I could feel my face flush red, "That isn't really what I had in mind when I came to see you."

"You know I'm sitting right here." Jane glanced at me from the corner of her eye, "You aren't exactly having a private conversation there Amber."

"I know that!" I barked at her as I looked at Dylan, "Being there isn't going to help babe, I mean as much as I was looking forward to seeing you again, it's just not in the cards." I sat on the bed and looked down at the tablet with huff of disappointment.

"We need to go to Edmonton." Jane says flatly, "Bioware, there is a company there that designed the game. That's where we are headed." Her words hit me like the remote that hit the T.V. a few hours earlier.

"Bioware? Edmonton? That's in Canada and we are in Texas Jane. That's one hell of a road trip." I shake my head in disbelief that this was her great plan, "That's just insane."

"So is having Commander Jane Shepard in your room, but clearly that's possible too." Dylan chimed from the tablet in my hands, "Just swing by and pick me up and I'll go with you."

"Have you both lost your minds? We are in Texas, you are in Nashville, and they are in Canada! What the hell are you two thinking?"

"It's what we're doing. Get your gear and we will head out in an hour." Jane said as she stood up.

"No! This is stupid and we aren't going to Canada!" I toss the tablet on the bed and fall back exasperated. "This is dumbest thing I've ever heard for a plan and really isn't going to get us anywhere."

"Look kid, they created Mass Effect. They are the only ones I can think of that might have an answer to this." Jane stood at the end of the bed and glared at me. "Get up, get your stuff together and let's get moving."

"Amber?" Dylan called my name from the tablet, "Do you really have options here?"

"No… I don't." I threw my arms across my face I buried my eyes in my elbow, "Damn it! Fine, I'm picking up Dylan on the way Shepard. I'm not going to Canada with you alone."

"He seems to agree with me well enough that I have a good plan, not to mention I could use someone to keep you out of trouble." Jane gave her crooked little smile again, "Get up." She kicked the bed.

"Fine." I sat up and grabbed the data pad looking at the boyfriend who had excitement written all over his face, "Don't be happy about this."

"Riiiight, because there is so much to be unhappy about when it comes to the circumstances." Dylan gave me a huge smile and then a wink. He was right, he was getting to see the girlfriend and Commander Shepard, what was there to be unhappy about?

* * *

It was the longest and hottest shower I had ever taken in my life. I wanted to wash everything down the drain and crawl back into bed at this point. Jane, Dylan, Adam… Everything had happened so suddenly. Now I was going to drive across the country in an old grey Ford Tempo and pick up the boyfriend to go to Canada with a woman that shouldn't even exist.

Jane was still sitting at the computer, the same place she had been since she had taken a five minute shower and changed. I had slipped on jeans and a green t-shirt before I came out of the bathroom with a bag of clothes in tow.

"Are we really doing this?" I asked as I took the towel out of my hair, "You don't even have clothes or anything. How the hell is all of this going to work?"

"We can stop somewhere. You're too short for me to really wear anything you have here but your workout clothes will suffice for now." Jane looked at her red soccer shorts and the fidgeted with the oversized college sweater that I had stolen from Dylan the last time I had seen him.

"I guess this means I'm buying right?" I ran a brush through my hair and tossed it in the bag, "What are you doing now."

"Reading and taking a look for the shortest possible routes to Nashville." Jane looked at me, "And waiting, lots of waiting." I rolled my eyes at her impatience as I slipped on a pair of tennis shoes.

"Here, I have sandals that you can wear. You're a giant compared to me and nothing I have will fit you besides these." I threw the shoes at her as I moved towards the door. She caught them awkwardly and I laughed at her for a moment before she glared at me. I grabbed my tablet and cell phone, "Waiting on you Boss."

I hit the light switch as I started down the stairs with Jane following close behind me with her armor and gun in tow. I had a credit card and money in savings, as far as that went we were set. I tossed the bag on the counter and started to rummage through it to make sure that everything I needed was accounted for.

"Whatcha doing there sis?" Adam leaned on the door frame and looked at me with questioning eyes, "Sneaking away for a romantic get away with this one?" He nodded his head towards Jane.

"Not really, going to Nashville. You remember? I told you a week ago that I was going, just happened to get a late start." I stopped looking through the bag and grabbed my keys from the counter as I prayed he didn't see the armor in Jane's hands. "You stay here like a good boy and don't cause trouble."

"You're going to Nashville to see Dylan?" Adam said smugly, "And taking this goddess here with you? You know he won't look at you twice with someone like her standing beside you." I glowered at him as he grinned ear to ear.

"What the hell does that mean?" Jane folded her arms and as she mulled over what he said, "Did you just call me a goddess?"

"What if I did beautiful? Amber's taste in friends is certainly improving and I'm going to sit back and enjoy every minute of it." Adam sauntered over to her, putting one hand in his jean pocket and the other on her shoulder. "So, you going to do something about it, _babe_?"

"Adam, shut up!" I yelled at him as Jane started to glow blue, "Jane stop!" I had at least managed to get something out as she used her biotics to toss Adam down the hall and into the living room wall.

"I find that talk unacceptable." Jane had folded her arms back across her chest and started looking at the nails on her right hand, "You can't speak to women like that, and sure as hell not to me." I rolled my eyes at Jane as ran over and kneeled down beside Adam. I watched as he gasped like a fish out of water and searched for a logical reason that he was flung across the apartment.

"She… blue… tossed… rag… doll." He said in between deep breaths.

"Great Jane, how the hell am I supposed to explain this to him?" I continue to kneel beside my brother as his breaths become more and more regulated, "Adam you're lucky that all she did was toss you into a wall."

"He'll be fine, he's over reacting." She smiles smugly as Adam made his way to his feet.

"Blue… not human… there is no way… she is human…" I finished helping him to his feet and started to laugh.

"No she's human Adam, I mean she's not from anywhere around here, but she's human." I looked at him as he tried to indicate that I lost my mind by pointing to his head and made circles with his finger. "No, that would be you. You are the moron that just tried to make a pass at Commander Jane Shepard."

"She… that game? Are you kidding?" Adam finally started to add things together, "From the stupid nerd thing you drug me to kicking and screaming?"

"Nerd thing?" Jane looked at me as I tried to keep Adam from losing it, well what he had of it.

"The reason why I thought you were in costume." I told her before turning back to Adam. "I don't know why or how but she's here and I have to help her do… I don't know what I have to help her do but she landed on my damn doorstep." He looked at me and back at Jane.

"So you're taking her to see that boy toy you have away at school? What the hell is that going to do?" He pulled away from my grasp and peered down at me.

"We're going to Edmonton, Nashville is just a stop on the way." Jane stated as matter of fact, "I'm going to Bioware, to see what the hell they were thinking."

"Canada? You're going to take this alien thing to Canada? You may as well be taking her to see the Wizard from the Wizard of Oz." Adam laughed, "Does she even have ID to get into Canada?"

"We'll figure that out as we go Adam." I sigh, "Ready Jane?"

"Wait, you think I'm letting you trek across the country with my kid sister?" He points at Jane and glances at me, "Ha! No way in hell! I'm going with you." Adam takes off down the hall to his room.

"Adam, damn it you aren't going. I can't handle the two of you in the car together like that. No flipping way, it's not going to happen," I stomp my foot at yell at him again, "I said it's _not_, N-O-T happening!"

"You don't get a say Amber. I'll just call the cops and say you were kidnapped by some glowing amazon woman." Adam called out from his room.

"Amazon woman? Watch your mouth little boy or I'll fling you into the other room again." Jane said flatly.

"Doesn't matter what you say, I'm coming with you." Adam reappeared with a back pack over his left shoulder.

"Fantastic… This is just flipping fantastic!" I grab my bag and start to walk out the door without looking behind me. "Lock it Adam." I curse at under my breath as I head down to the car. I open the door and get inside, sending Dylan a text message that we are heavier by one more person that I couldn't tell no. I slam the door and wait on the other two to make their way over to the vehicle. Adam and Jane both get to the passenger door at the same time and stare at one another. Jane opens the car and motions for Adam to get in the back seat.

"I'm the man, I'm riding up front." Adam adjusted his back pack on his shoulder.

"No, I'm the Commander I'm riding up front. If you have a problem with it…"

"Just get in the damn car!" I yell from the driver's seat as a smack my hand on the steering wheel, "Get in the damn car and stop bickering like an old married couple!" They both bent over and looked at me as I turned bright red in the face, "Just do what children do and take turns or something. Just make up your minds soon so we can get on the flipping road." I face forward and stick the key in the ignition and start the car as I feel myself continue to turn red. Adam gave Jane a dirty look as he crawled into the back seat and sat in the middle, letting his knees sit on both sides of the center console. Jane smiles at me as she sees Adam in distress and motions towards the armor in her hands.

"Throw it in the back." I pulled the lever below the seat that popped the trunk and watched as she rounded the car. She threw the armor haphazardly into the trunk and slammed the lid quickly, making her way back to her seat, glaring at me.

"You have an attitude problem sis." Adam said as he stretched his arms across the back seat.

"She does have a little bit of a temper doesn't she?" Jane said sarcastically as she shut the door. I put the car in reverse and looked in the review mirror as I backed out of the parking spot.

"I just wanted a day off." I say as I put the car in drive, "Just a normal day off."


	6. Chapter 6

A tense silence was hanging in the air as I made my way onto the interstate. Just a short while ago I had snapped at Jane and Adam, and was still under the impression that an apology would only elevate the already awkward situation. I hit my turn signal to merge into the center lane, in order to cruise with the flow of traffic, catching Adam's eyes looking at mine in the review mirror in the process.

"What?" I asked him as I flipped the blinker back into its off position.

"Are we really going to sit like this for the next twelve hours? I mean in total silence because we might upset Amber while she's sitting behind the wheel of the car?" Adam turned his head to the left and looked out the window. "You know you could at least turn on the radio or something, anything is better than listening to the sound of the tires on the road."

"Alright, music. I can deal with that." I turn on the radio and flip to one of the local stations, "Happy now?"

"Well it's better than sitting here listening to the sound of you two breathing." Adam sneered as he continued to look away from me. "You're so easy to get all worked up Amber. Jane and I have already worked out our differences and are just fine, aren't we babe?"

"I'm not your babe." Jane said facing forward, "I will _never_ be your babe."

"You say that now, but sooner or later they all come around." Adam said as he looked forward, "No one can resist the power of the Adam, it's science baby… it's just a fact that all women have to face. You took chemistry in school, right?"

"Adam, shut up. Listen to the radio that you made me turn on and just shut up."

"What's wrong my sexy, red-headed amazon? You have a man waiting for you back home on your spaceship?" Adam leaned forward and put his hand on top of her left shoulder. Jane immediately grabbed it and started to squeeze his fingers together, causing him to yelp at the sudden pain.

"You just don't get it do you?" She continued to face forward as her next words echoed over the commercial on the radio station. "_Not_… _interested_." Jane released her grasp of Adam. He recoiled to his spot in the backseat, shaking his hand in the air before pulling it back to his chest.

"Damn woman you have some grip. Must be all those alien genes you have." Adam looked at his fingers and then back at Jane

"Adam quit egging her on, I don't need to have a car accident because you are having issues with your testosterone."

"Alright. Yeesh, I was just trying to hit on the alien… for science." He rubbed his hands against his jeans and looked back at Jane.

"I'm not an alien." Jane quickly responded as she adjusted the seat belt across her chest. I couldn't help but notice how the seat belt cut across her in the Vanderbilt sweater as she found a more comfortable position.

"Sure," Adam continued to nurse his digits from Jane's warning, "because humans glow and have super strength."

"She's not alien Adam, she's from another time."

"Time travel? You expect me to believe that Amber?" He rolled his eyes.

"I don't expect you to do anything, you can't even shut up." I let the words drip with sarcasm, "Look, we have twelve hours in this car together, can we at least _pretend_ that we can get along until we get to Nashville?"

"That all depends on him." Jane's words came out flat as she again wiggled in her seat.

"On me?"

"If you keep touching me I might have to actually break something." The devious smile crept back across Jane's face as Adam absorbed the threat. I waited, hoping that he would change the subject for a moment before I heard him chuckle softly from behind me.

"Are you tempting me to touch that soft skin of yours?"

"Adam, for the love of all that is holy, will you just stop?" I could hear the sound of desperation in my words as I attempted to stop him from pissing Jane off. If she lit up her biotics to deal with Adam in the small confines of the car there was no way to predict what some of the other side effects might be.

"You might want to listen to your sister." Jane looked out the passenger window, "She might jerk the controls of this vehicle and kill us all."

"Fine, I'll stop. Can we at least have a normal conversation about something?" Adam spread his arms out across the back seat again, giving the façade that he was the one in control of the dialogue between the three of us.

"Right, because we have normal things to discuss with her."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jane faces me with a puzzled look, "You don't think that I'm normal?"

"I was just saying that you aren't from the here and now. Normal conversation would imply we talk about things that are well… from this time"

"I am aware that I'm not from here." She narrowed her eyes and burned into me again with that same look that had caused chills down my spine the last time she didn't like what I had to say.

"I was just…" I ran my hand across the steering wheel, "never mind."

"So Jane, tell me about this alien place you're from." Adam said, trying to barge his way back into the conversation.

"I told you, I'm not an alien."

"Same difference to me. Amber is the one that's into that whole Mass Effect video game thing. I just use it to pick up the hot chicks at the conventions she drags my ass to. Never made it through a whole play though myself."

"That's because your little brain can't wrap around the main idea of the story." I murmured.

"Ha ha ha Amber. Really, it was just never my kind of game, I just learned what I needed to in order to get a girl in bed… if a babe thinks that you like Thane, or that Garrus would be your bro, you're in like Flynn." I can see Adam smiling in the mirror as he recollects the past memories of his conquests.

Jane looks at him and glares, "What?"

"Adam… seriously not helping." I tell him, trying to hint that he's just going to cause her to get angry again.

"What do you mean by that?" Jane continues to look at Adam, waiting for an answer.

"I mean that girls want to be Shepard, and I use that idea to get idea to get them into the sack. I just want to know who the _real deal_ is actually into."

"Into? You mean that's another option?" At this point, Jane has maneuvered herself in position to give Adam her full attention, much to my dismay.

"You didn't know?" He gave her an evil grin, rubbing his neck with the hand that Jane had almost broken just a few moments earlier.

"We haven't talked much about what the options are in the game." I tell him, trying to interject whatever it was he was trying to pull on Jane. I winced internally, I knew that Adam was awful when it came to his tactics in picking up women, but this was a new low for him. Jane was just thrown a lifetime away from Garrus and it seemed that he was more than willing to step in and take her mind off the circumstances.

"Damn Amber, that's something you could have told her." He scorned me as he put his right hand on the back of her seat, "So, who are you hooked up with?" Adam asked as he continued to try and work his ploy on her.

"Don't say hooked up to her Adam, you moron." I hated being the jerk to my brother when he tried to start things with women, but this was Jane Shepard, _Commander Jane Shepard_ of the Normandy. I really didn't want to think of what he was trying to get himself into by hitting on her.

"Fine." Adam said harshly to me as he inched further up in his seat and closer to her, "Excuse me Jane, who are you currently _dating_ in the game?"

"Garrus, she's with Garrus, Adam. Now please talk about something different." I was trying not to smack him myself at this point, he was treading on thin ice and I knew it.

"Ohhhh, Shakarian it is then. Girls go nuts for that shit." I rolled my eyes as I listened to Adam's assessment of the situation.

"Shakarian?" Jane raised her eyebrows as she pulled back from Adam a bit, letting me relax in the process. Evidently she was curious about what he had to say, not about the person that was saying it.

"It's what they call it when you hook up with Garrus."

"Wait, so if I don't end up with Garrus, that means you can make me choose other options in the game?"

"Sure can. I mean a lot of women love to see you with Kaidan…" Adam had the evil smile back on his face as he took in Jane's reaction.

"Adam!" I yelled smacking the wheel, "Damn it Adam cut it out!"

"Kaidan? You mean that if I saved him then…" Jane whispered to herself as she moved herself back into her forward facing position.

"Damn it Adam! I never should have let you in this car."

"What? It's your fault I know all this crap Amber, I didn't know _she_ was all sensitive about it." He took the position of conversation king in the back seat again, spreading his arms back across the seat and a getting a smug look on his face.

"Adam, just stop talking. Jane, remember it's all over. You made those decisions for a reason."

"Right." Jane said in a hushed tone as she leaned back into her seat, "Right."

* * *

The hours of driving in yet another awkward silence ended up being better than listening to Adam use his awful pick-up lines on Jane. He had already managed to upset her past the point of her even looking at me while we drove, and had he continued I was sure that he would have been tossed out of the car. The moment that we reached Nashville, I started to rummage through my purse for my phone. I had been here a few times to see Dylan but still had no idea what exit to take.

"Jane?"

"No Amber."

"No Amber what? You don't even know what I was going to ask." I kept trying to locate the phone in the depths of my bag while keeping my eyes on the road.

"Does it matter? I'm not in the mood for chit chat."

"I'm not interested in… Never mind I found it." I pulled the phone out of my purse, "Adam?"

"No… I don't want to make her leave…" Adam grumbled as Jane turned to look at my sleeping brother, who was still sprawled out in the back seat.

"He's sleeping."

"Adam, wake up!" I yelled at him over the radio, "You wanted to be here and now I need your flipping help!"

"What? Uh, Damn… I'm in the car with you two still?" Adam groaned for a moment as he started to sit back up. I reach behind me with the phone in hand. "I was dreaming that I was in bed with this gorgeous red headed amazon from another planet."

"Adam, cut it out. I need you to put in the address for Dylan's dormitory. I don't remember what exit to take."

"You don't know where the boyfriend lives? I thought you've been here before?"

"I have, it doesn't mean I remember what exit to take."

"There." After messing with the phone for a few minutes Adam hands it to me with the GPS turned on. I glance at it and see that I have about three exits until I'm at the dorms.

"This should prove to be interesting." Jane says flatly.

"Just… Don't kill him Jane. I know that you are not in the best of moods but I like him, and he's a pretty huge fan of yours."

"I agreed that we could pick him up so that we could continue on our mission." She scowled as she looked out the window, "Must be nice to be able to see him."

"Look, we're going to need all the help we can get if we're going to figure out why the hell you ended up out in the middle of nowhere. I don't believe in happy accidents."

"I can see the logic in that, but it doesn't mean that I have to like the idea of another person being with us on this trip." She pulled on her sweater as Adam squirmed in the backseat.

"You're going to let her walk around campus like that?" He chimed in as he yawned, "She's barely wearing clothes."

"It's after midnight, where do you suggest I get clothing for her? Besides, she's dressed in enough to blend in on campus."

"Blend in? You want to take the six foot amazon on campus thinking that she will just blend in?" Adam laughed, "Anyway, it's after midnight on_ Saturday_ night, you think that we're going to just waltz in and grab Dylan, then get right back on the road? It's late and we're going to need a place to crash."

"So you're saying?"

"I'm saying you didn't think this through, and we're going to need a hotel unless you want to stay in the dorms or try and sleep in the car."

"That's not happening." I sighed knowing that Adam was right. It was already late and we had been on the road for hours. There was a growing list of things to do now that we had reached Nashville.

"The way I figure it, we need to find a hotel, get her something normal to wear, and eat."

"Adam's right Amber." Jane said, finally deciding to speak again.

"Well damn, this is going to be fun." Adam said enthusiastically as he leaned forward towards Jane, "You and me in a hotel together babe? Should we get our own room so Amber and Dylan can…"

"Adam, shut it!" I cut him off. "Look, let's get Dylan first and then I will worry about the rest of it."

"Seems like the idea of getting Dylan is really important to you." Jane says, "Do you think he is going to be able to help us or is there something more to this?"

"No, I just… he might be able… Just don't ask."

"Oh she asked Amber, tell her about him." Adam laughed, "Tell her how you two met."

"Adam damn it, just let it go." I took the exit to Dylan's dorm, "It's not worth telling right now."

"Oh it is. They met all because of you Jane, hooked up on some Mass Effect fan website."

"Mass Effect fan website?"

"Oh yea, Amber's a super nerd when it comes to all that stuff. Talks about Mass Effect from the moment she wakes up till she falls asleep, and Dylan is worse than she is."

"You are that into that game?" Jane looks at me and tilts her head, "Seriously?"

"It was better when you were sleeping Adam." I rolled my eyes as I checked the GPS, "I think I got it from here. I'm going to call Dylan." I exited the application and pulled up his number.

"Because he's got to be the hero in this whole thing somehow right? The man with all the answers."

"Damn it Adam, he knows this place better than any of us. Hotels, places to eat, somewhere to buy her normal clothes… Dylan will know where all that is."

"Me-ow! Alright, Ms. Thing." Adam looks at me in the mirror, "Amber needs her boy toy, I get it." I took a deep breath as I waited for Dylan to pick up the phone.

"Hey Dyl, we're right down the road." I can hear myself smiling as we talk, "Alright… Yes… Uh, hunh… Sure thing… See you in a minute." I hang up the phone and take a left turn.

"That's it?"

"I'm picking him up, I can talk to him once he gets in the car."

"In the car? Where is he going to be sitting?" Jane shot me a go to hell look as soon as she realized that she would no longer have the safety of the front seat keeping her from Adam, "You've got to be kidding me?"

"No, you two will just have to get over it. He's getting in the front seat so that he can help me navigate around Nashville."

"I can navigate."

"You don't know where we are Jane, you can sit back there with Adam and torture him with the looks of death you keep giving me." I stopped in front of Dylan's dorm room and put the car in park, "Now get in the back." With attitude, Jane opened the car door and lifted the passenger seat. She frowned as Adam moved behind me, purposely taking his sweet time.

"Welcome to the jungle. I'll be Tarzan, seeing how you're already Jane." Adam makes a noise like a monkey as Jane stares at him blankly.

"Adam, that was just pathetic." I smile as his line falls flat.

"I thought it was pretty smooth. I've been waiting to use that one on her since I learned her damn name."

"Hence the reason that you are still single." I grin as Jane takes her seat next to him, leaning as far away from him as humanly possible. "Now you two play nice."

I keep my eyes on the front of the dorm waiting for the moment I see Dylan so that I can flag him down. Thankfully he popped his head outside pretty quickly and I honked the horn to get his attention before jumping out of the car.

"Dyl!" I ran over to Dylan and wrapped my arms around him, "Dyl, I'm so happy to see you!"

"Same here babe."

"I could use a sane person in my corner after the last day and a half. I sure as hell hope that you're ready for this." We let go of one another and he looks at me like I'm crazy. "What? Why are you looking at me looking at me like I've lost my mind?"

"You mean you were serious? This wasn't some joke like all the other stuff you've pulled on me?"

"What? No, you saw Jane, you even talked to her and she did the whole glow thingy… You thought this was joke? Really?"

"Amber, when I first met you I was sent all over campus looking for you on a scavenger hunt. The second time, you hid in the dorm room for an entire day waiting to jump out and scare me. The third time, you came into a lecture I was sitting in dressed like Commander Shepard and told me we had to go fight the reapers together. You are the queen of elaborate jokes."

"I… Really? You really didn't…" I shook my head, this was not the greeting I was expecting, "Fine, get in the car, seeing is believing after all." I turned back to the car to see a blue glow in the backseat. "Damn it Adam!" I went from a leisure walk back to the car to a run with Dylan following close behind.

"Amber?"

"Not now Dylan." I opened the door and looked over the seat, "Damn you two, I was gone for a minute! Jane stop it now!"

"He touched me."

"I know but I can't have a huge scene on campus. Someone is going to see and…"

"Hey!" A voice calls from a distance, "Hey, what's going on there? There's glowing… in the back seat." I slink back out of the car and look to the direction we had just ran from. There was a group of drunken college kids that were pointing at the car and walking our direction.

"This isn't happening." I rub my temples as I look in the back seat, "Tell me this isn't happening."


	7. Chapter 7

Dylan stared at the back seat of the car as Jane continued to glow. I opened the driver's side door and kneeled on the seat, trying to figure out how the two of them ended up in position they had. There was Jane, sitting on top of Adam's stomach while she was lit up in a brilliant show of her biotic powers. Her left hand was filled with a biotic charge of some kind as she was getting ready to teach Adam a lesson that he had clearly missed the first time back in Texas.

"Jane! Damn it I told you that someone was going to see you, and now I have to deal with a group of flipping people."

"What?" She looked at me and then at the drunken students that were rapidly approaching the car, "He touched me."

"Well what do you know? Adam, who has been touching you since the two of you met, touched you, _again_." I look over my shoulder, "Do you mind killing the biotic display of affection for a minute?" Jane glared at me as I grabbed the keys out of the ignition.

"Hey, was that chick glowing?"

"What? No, how could she be glowing?" I looked at him with a sly smile on my face. I stood between the door and the seat of the car, "Can you randomly make yourself glow?"

"Look, I know what I saw. That chick was glowing and I want to know what she used to do it."

"Did he call me a chick?" Jane started to push on the driver's side seat, making it evident that she wanted out of the car to deal with the new issue in front of us in a manner that she saw fit.

"Jane, stay in the…" I heard a loud snap as the seat suddenly bent forward "Damn it Jane!"

"He called me a chick, and you're trying to make me stay in the car?"

"You actually broke the effing seat! You snapped it in half!" I looked the back of the chair that was now flopping around loosely on the driver's side of the car. Jane pulled herself past me and scowled as the man that was sitting on my fender came into her view.

"Do I look like a chick to you?"

"No, now that I see you first hand I'd call you a babe." Jane stopped when she was a foot from him with a dubious look on her face. He tilted his head to the left as he checked her out when it suddenly registered that she was wearing a university sweatshirt. "Damn babe, you make Vandy look good."

"Jane, don't give into him, please."

"I am a _babe_ right? I mean, shouldn't I show him the kind of_ babe_ I am?"

"No, you should get back in the car before…" It was too late, Jane was glowing blue again and had the kid lifted 3 inches off the ground. "Before you do that Jane!" I howled as the group of people stared in shock.

"So _babe_, tell me what you think now?"

"Jane, put him down!" I shout at her as I see the look of terror come across the face of the guy hanging in the air. Her biotics ebbed as she let him put his feet back on the ground.

"That… was awesome!"

"What?" Jane peered over to the on lookers who she had cared less about two seconds before. Every one of them had an expression of excitement and fascination based on what they had just witnessed.

"How did you do that? You had him off the ground and everything?"

"I used…"

"Party trick!" Dylan interrupted her before it could get any further, "It's a party trick from their school down in Texas."

"Right!" I barked, adding my two cents, "We do it all the time where we're from, and I can't believe you haven't seen it before."

"Party trick?"

"Yea, it's awesome right?" I look at the guy that Jane lifted off the ground, "Feels all tingly hunh? I love it when she does that to me. You should see some of the other stuff that she can do."

"Well bring her ass and show me then. We're headed to a frat party that ATO is throwing."

"We already have other plans."

"Plans change." He moves over to me and grabs my keys from my right hand, tossing them to Dylan. "The girls can come with me, and you guys can meet us there."

"Or I can just drop your ass right here on the pavement and call it an early night." Jane smirked, letting me know that she was more than happy to use her biotics and end things now.

"Deal!" I bellow, trying to stop this circus from progressing any further, "We'll go with you and they can meet us there." I walk over to Jane, "Dyl, you know where it is right?"

"Yea… I…"

"Perfect, we go with you and they meet us there." I wrap my arm around Jane's shoulder, "Let's go." I pull her with me as I walk over to the other idiots of the group.

"Amber, you've lost your mind."

"Just go with it, you got us into this mess and I don't want a bigger scene." I say through my teeth as I smile. "Well, after y'all." I motion for the rest of the guy's entourage to continue walking.

"I don't do parties." Jane whispers to me.

"You do now. You wanted to show off, and I don't need them thinking you are a space alien."

"They're drunk and you could have told them that they were just seeing things."

"Right, because you snapping the seat in my car in half on top of whole glowing bright blue thing isn't suspicious at all?" I sneer at her as we walk behind the Vanderbilt students. "Besides, not like we were leaving here tonight anyway."

"We have a mission."

"I believe I remember someone throwing a certain party in an apartment before they headed out to fight the final battle with the reapers."

"I believe that I had earned shore leave. This mission has barely started."

"I have managed to work for two weeks straight before you came out of nowhere with a gun pointed at my face. I could use a little fun before I go with you to do some epic battle with the people at Bioware." Jane gave me the stare of death as we walked up to a huge frat house that had ATO on the front of it.

"I am telling you that this is a mistake Amber."

"It will be fine. Just try and enjoy yourself a little, you act like you have a stick up your…"

"Ladies." The guy that Jane had nearly pummeled just a few minutes earlier started to lead us up the front steps to ATO's frat house. The music was so loud I could barely hear the sound of my own thoughts as I passed through the door. I tried to keep myself within an arm's length of Jane as but that quickly proved to be impossible as she was pulled away from me by the person leading the way.

"Jane!" I called her name as she disappeared into the sea of faces, "Crap…. Crap, crap, crap." I managed to make my way to the main room that was littered with red plastic cups. I did a quick survey of the area, hoping to see a familiar face while I was going through one of the more crowded parts of building. I had grown to know a few people on my trips to see Dylan and thought that maybe I would be lucky enough to stumble across his roommate Charlie or one of his friends.

Having no luck in finding someone that I recognized, I continued to tread through the party, nodding my head hello at the people who took notice of me. I had never felt more out of place surrounded by people my own age than I did at that moment. I stumbled into the kitchen and looked at the girl that was barely dressed sitting on the counter. The guy that was sitting between her legs was too busy with what was in front of him to notice her wave me a quick hello. I gave a hurried smile as I walked blindly into a guy the size of a refrigerator.

"Sorry!" I looked up at the man that was twice the size of Adam, "Sorry, I was looking for someone and…"

"Me? You were looking for me right?" He brushed his fingers through his blonde hair and leaned against the island in the center of the kitchen.

"No, you aren't my type."

"I could be your type."

"_No_, you couldn't be my type. So if you will excuse me, I'm trying to find a friend of mine." I try to walk past him but he continues to place himself right in front of me, keeping me trapped in the kitchen.

"Ugh, can you just move? I really don't have time for this crap." The guy had crossed his arms as he looked down at me. "Really! Just effing move!" I stomp my foot on the floor and roll my eyes.

"Problem?" Jane had tapped the guy on the shoulder making him to turn around to face her. I sighed in relief when I saw her standing there in my bright red soccer shorts and a Vandy sweater.

"Nope, this babe and I were just getting to know one another."

"Does she look like she wants to be your _babe_?" I try to grab her attention in order to get her to drop the tough woman act with the guy the size of a house. "She didn't sound like she wanted to be your _babe_."

"Jane I…"

"Why, you interested in the job?" The monster of a college student coyly smiles as he gives Jane a once over.

"Ha!" Before he could think of something else smart to say, Jane had thrown him up against one of the walls of the kitchen with her biotics. There was a shriek that came from the half-dressed girl on the counter as the man collapsed on the floor.

"Damn it Jane! You can't do that!" I look at the people in the kitchen, trying to take in the varying reactions and discern how much trouble we were in.

"He touched you, called you babe, and acted like an ass."

"You still can't…" I grabbed her wrist and walked out the side door of the kitchen before anyone could stop us from leaving, "You can't do things like that, and people will think that you are looking for trouble."

"Hey!"

"Crap!" I turn around to see the guy Jane just threw against the wall standing there with determination on his face, "No, just no." I mumble as I push her out the back door of the frat house.

"Amber, just let me talk to him."

"You've already done enough! You threw him into a flipping wall already!" As we make it outside and I look over my shoulder and notice that the guy is still in pursuit of us.

"Hey!" The man continues to yell as Jane grabs my arm, stopping our run away from the frat house.

"What?" She looks at him with a curl in her lip, "You need another toss against a wall?"

"You threw me like I was nothing."

"And?"

"You're a girl." He stopped himself just short of Jane, at a distance that he seemed to be pretty sure was out of her reach.

"Tell me you aren't so stupid that you are saying that I can't be strong because I'm a female."

"It's just… Even for a man you shouldn't have been able to do that. Then the whole glowing thing? That's just not possible."

"You're telling me what I can and can't do now?" Jane crossed her arms across her chest and placed her weight on her right foot.

"Jane, we should go. I'll just call Dylan and Adam and tell them that…"

"It's amazing, I'm just trying to tell you it's amazing. I've never seen anything like what you did back there." The guy who had been tossed across the kitchen was paying her a compliment.

"Did you just say I was amazing?" Jane smiled at him pleasantly and ran her fingers through her hair.

"I did, you've got some crazy strength going on there."

"I do, don't I?"

"Jane we should…"

"No, Amber you said I should enjoy myself… I think I just found something to do." Jane gave a nod of her head, "Maybe these kids would like to see me do my _party tricks_?"

"You mean you have more than just the crazy strength and the glowing?"

"Sure do." Jane smiles curtly as she walks back towards the door, leaving me there with a guy whose mouth is hanging open.

"She goes to Vandy?"

"No, but we can both agree that she's out of this world." I ran back up to the house to keep an eye on Jane, if she was suddenly determined to enjoy herself I knew that I needed to be worried.

* * *

I hadn't had time to think about grabbing the purse and cell phone that were in the car when making the decision to take off the with idiots that had walked up. Initially, I had planned on being at the party long enough for Jane to convince everyone that she was just some normal person and that the whole glowing thing was some elaborate trick. Now I sighed as I sat on the kitchen counter, watching Jane drink what had to be her twentieth beer in the past forty five minutes.

"I'm next! Do it to me!" The girl that was sitting half naked on the counter squeals at Jane. She bounces in front of her for a second before she is floating three inches off the ground. The ingrates around her start to cheer while Jane finishes another glass of beer.

"Jane, really?"

"Just having fun. Isn't that what you wanted Amber?" I roll my eyes as she sets the girl back on the floor. This has been the scene since Jane decided to make me eat my own words and let herself start to have a good time.

"Amber!"

"Adam! Dylan! About time you got here!" I see the boys walk into the kitchen and give me a confused look.

"I guess she's the life of the party?"

"You can say that again Dylan." I gaze at Jane as she pours another beer. Adam rushes over to her and grabs his own glass. "Ever since she threw that guy into the wall it's been like this."

"Threw a guy into a wall?"

"Just accept it for what it is." I gawk at her and then back at him, "She's trying to prove a point about having fun while there are more important things we should be doing."

"Of course she is."

"It's Jane Shepard… and she's hell of a lot more renegade than I thought she was originally." I slipped my fingers through my bangs as a looked at Dylan.

"I'm just amazed that no one else figured out she looked like…"

"Don't finish that sentence. I don't want to even think about it. Besides, they're all drunk." I turn to face Jane who is glaring at Adam evilly. "Adam, leave her the hell alone."

"Why?" Jane asked, "He's having fun… Enjoying _himself_. Isn't that what you wanted before we…"

"Left?" I shout before she can finish that sentence, "Absolutely! Y'all just go ahead." I turn back to Dylan, "See what I mean? She's being a pain in the ass on purpose."

"You brought her to a college party, honestly how did you expect this to go?"

"I don't know. Not like this, that's for damn sure." I start to notice the lack of distance between Jane and Adam. I scowl for a moment at the idea of them suddenly getting closer despite me.

"Well if she's going to sit here and fun, maybe you should too." Dylan gives me a half smile as Adam wrapped his arm around Jane's waist wearing a goofy grin.

"What am I supposed to do Dyl, Walk off and leave her here with him? She might kill someone."

"Amber, she's a war hero. She's trying to save people remember? Temper and flare for destruction, yes. As far as her just killing for the hell of it…"

"You remember the time in Mass Effect 2 where the renegade Shepard shoves the Eclipse merc out the window?"

"Yea?"

"His crime was being a smart ass and not answering her question the way she thought it should be. Now think about the crap that comes out of people's mouths when they are drinking?"

"I see your point." Dylan leans on the counter next to me, "So, can I get you a drink?"

"You go ahead, not like there are going to be many times where you can say that you got drunk with Commander Jane Shepard."

* * *

"Get in the damn car!" I screamed at Adam for what had to be the fifth time in the past seven minutes. They were drunk, Dylan, Adam, Jane… Totally wasted and I was playing the role of designated driver. I wasn't the best person for the job, I had little to no patience in dealing with Adam when had been drinking, then adding Jane and Dylan into the mix, let's just say that I was having a rough time.

"Ammmmmber!" Adam droned as he smacked into the side of the car, "This… was fucking awesome!"

"Yeah, I know. You've been making it clear that this has been flipping awesome for the past few hours of non-stop drinking with Jane. Get in the car."

"Babe, did you know that Shep chose to let the first council die?"

"Doesn't surprise me Dylan."

"I mean it's so fantastic babe. She's all renegady, and super dangerous. I can't believe that you really fucking found her." Dylan was leaning against the hood of the car as Jane ambled up with a smile on her face.

"Amber? We having fun yet?" Exasperated I opened the door to the driver's side and started to climb in. I looked down at the seat and remembered that Jane had snapped the back of the chair off when this whole thing had started.

"Where is the back of my seat?" I tried to see if it was anywhere in the interior of the car, "Boys?"

"Trunk… I put it in the trunk." Dylan said as he opened the passenger side door.

"That's what she said."

"Adam, shut up." I sat in the seat with no back and shook my head, "If we get in a wreck you all realize that I'm the one that's going to be killed."

"So don't wreck." Adam climbed behind me and put his knees into my back. I rolled my eyes and waited for Jane and Dylan to get themselves buckled in. I grabbed my phone from my purse and put in a search for a local hotel.

"Amber, you know where we are going?" Dylan put his hand on my knee.

"I'm sure I can figure it out." I murmur as I start the car. I glance in the review mirror to see Jane leaning against Adam and shudder. I tell myself that this is just her continuing the same crap she had been pulling all night with him and that there is really nothing going on.

"Amber, you did say that you know where you are going right?" Dylan gives me a little squeeze on my leg as I come to a stop at a red light.

"Yes Dyl, I'm going here." I shove the phone at him for a moment as the light changes, "I just need to put all the drunks in their beds."

"You said to have a good time, I just did what you told me."

"Yes Jane, you did didn't you? And all the pictures and vids will just be plastered all over the place for everyone else and their mother to see."

"It… was fucking… awesome." Adam managed to get out from the back seat as I pulled into a hotel parking lot.

"I'm getting two rooms so that you can all sleep off this drunken mess. I've learned my lesson about having fun before a mission." I turn into the hotel drive and put the car in park, "Y'all stay in the flipping car."

I open the door after taking off the seatbelt that would have prevented absolutely nothing from happening to me. I slam the door and look at the three people in my car. This was going nothing like I had wanted. I made my way to the door of the hotel office and saw the clerk sitting behind the counter, chewing her gum and blowing bubbles. She took her eyes from the monitor and looked at me through her dark rimmed classes.

"Ma'am, can I help you?" She said in a southern accent that made me cringe.

"I need to get two rooms, double beds." I hand her my ID and credit card.

"Alright," She pops her gum as she starts to get me two rooms. I lean on the counter and look at the time, it's 3:30 am. I watch as she does the normal set up and charges my card. I signed my name on the piece of paper making me responsible for any damages and oddities that are outside the normal charges associated with getting a room.

"Here ya go, check out time is 12:30. You have rooms 213 and 215. They are upstairs to the left."

"I appreciate it." I take the keys and the credit card as I head back to the car. I was relieved to see that there was no glowing or group of screaming people standing around the car. I climbed back inside and put the car back into drive to look for a spot closer to the room.

"Here." I reached behind me and handed Adam a key, "You and Jane can share, room 213."

"I have no problem with that."

"Adam, if she breaks something in that room so help me I am going to lose it."

"So you and I?" Dylan raises his eyebrows and smirks at me as Adam smacks the back of his head.

"That's my sister you asshat."

"It's my girlfriend remember?" Dylan rubs his fingers over the back of his head, "Damn Adam."

"Still my little sister." Adam was glaring at Dylan as I parked the car.

"Alright, I will see you all in a few hours. Please don't kill anyone Jane."

"As long as he remembers I'm not his babe there won't be any killing tonight."

"Whatever." I get out of the car and go to the trunk to grab my bag. I see the back of my seat sitting beside Jane's armor and take a deep breath. It was another reminder of the chaos of the night, just another thing that I was going to have to deal with eventually.

"Babe you coming?" Dylan looked at me as he waited for me to catch up. I slammed the truck of the car and locked the doors as Adam escorted Jane to their room.

"You don't think they will… you know?" I questioned Dylan hanging back for a moment. I didn't want to sit on the elevator with them or watch them go into the actual room together.

"No, she's all about her Gar-bear. I'm sure she'd never let it happen."

"Just saying, they both drank a lot." I started to walk towards the building.

"Nah, don't read into Amber." We opened the door and found the elevator. Dylan pressed the button as I yawned.

"I've never been so tired in my entire life. Tomorrow we start heading north for Canada."

"You're really taking her to Bioware?" The elevator door opened and we pressed the button for the second floor once we were inside.

"Do you think I drove all the way here just for you to see her before I dropped her off at a crazy house? I have to do something with her. Why the hell not take her to Bioware?"

"It's just a little ambitious. She doesn't have an ID to get into Canada and then getting her into see Casey Hudson? It's just going to take some work."

"That's why I have you." I smile as the elevator door opens and we make it to our room. I slide the key into the slot and watch the little light blink green.

"That's the only reason?"

"Of course not Dyl, and as much as I know what you _want _to do right now, it's not happening."

"Figured as much."

"I'm exhausted." I park myself on the edge of the bed, "I just need to sleep this day off." Dylan sits beside me and smiles.

"Sure thing babe." Dylan kisses my forehead before I flop backwards on the bed and close my eyes, letting everything fade to black.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey readers! I'm so sorry that so many of my followers were kicked off the story, I had issues and apologize for it! I am continuing all the stories and thank you all for your support!**

**I want to take a moment to thank TheRev28 for all his support in writing this, the story wouldn't be the same without Dylan!**

* * *

"What the hell?" My eyes were on fire. I attempted to hold them open for a moment and managed to see that wasn't on the hotel room bed that I remembered passing out on the night before. I put my hands to my eyes and started to rub them, feeling the tears beginning to stream down my face.

"_Ambeerrrr_." The raspy sound radiated from behind me as I tried to again to look nearby, hoping that something would be familiar. As soon as I would get my eyes partially open to take in the area, the searing conditions of the air would force them shut. My stomach started to lurch as I pushed myself to assess the space around me.

"Where am I?" I asked to the ground as it came into focus. I could now see my bare legs and stomach. I blinked slowly as I came to the realization that I was without any clothing. "Why am I naked?" I knew that I needed to start searching for something that would make any sense to me. The idea of being lost, nude, and in pain wasn't giving me any hope about the situation that I had suddenly found myself in. The moment that I took my first step, the sensation of a thousand needles pricking me began to resonate in every muscle fiber of my body. The sudden onset of pain made the air escape my lungs, causing me to fall on my right knee. Again the voice called to me like a whisper on the wind.

"_Ambeeerrrrr_." As I made myself stand on my own two feet once more, I started to wince. The agony was the exact same as it was for the initial shock of my first step. Still, I knew that I couldn't sit there naked in a pile of brown leaves with no idea where I was. I was getting irritated and scared as this voice continued to toy with me and my body continued to ache.

"I know my damn name, now tell me where the hell I am!" I called out as I sudden vibration hit my right butt cheek. It was familiar, it was like something had started to go off and wanted my attention right that instant. As quick as it would start, the vibration would stop for a moment before picking right back up again with the same ferocity that it had at the beginning. Suddenly there was a soft sound in the air, a light music that reminded me of one of the love scenes in Mass Effect 2. I reached for the vibration.

"Amber!"

"Adam, what do you want? I was asleep and dreaming and there wasn't you… I was happy there." I mumbled into the phone as I kept my face in the pillow. I had been dreaming, granted it was a pretty awful dream but still, it was an escape from Adam and the whole mess of the outside world. I made a mental note to turn the ringer on my phone to off the next time I decided I really needed sleep.

"I need the keys so I can take a look at the seat of the car."

"I know that you are used to getting up before the sun, but I tend to need more than five hours of sleep."

"Technically you've had four. Take a shower and call me." The line went dead as I dropped the phone from my hand and put my face back into the soft cushiony ball of cotton.

"Ugh, I hate you Adam." I spoke into the pillow in a hushed breath as not to wake up Dylan. I put my elbows on the bed and raised my head to see if the conversation had woken him like it had me. I was thankful that he was still fast asleep, when he didn't get enough hours in he was a bigger handful than Jane. I rolled to the right side of the bed, putting my feet on the floor and sitting up. Everything slowly came into focus as I grabbed my bag and headed for the bathroom to start my day.

* * *

"It's not going to work Adam." The car shuddered as I threw my hip into it. Adam was attempting to duct-tape my seat back together, just like any true southern boy would. I had been standing next to the car for a while, watching him in hope that he was as good with that tape as he had claimed he was.

"Shut up, it will work and then I expect you to kiss my boot." He had one knee pressed into the seat as he twirled the tape in circles over and over again around the back of the chair.

"Did you wake Jane up?"

"Yep. Did you wake up Dylan?"

"Yes, he wasn't happy about it… Something about a bad headache and not enough sleep."

"Hangover? I haven't had one of those in ages." Adam stood up and moved from the door frame, making a gesture for me to hop in the car and take a seat. "Try it now."

"It's going to snap."

"It's not going to snap, but Jane might if you keep on her the way you do."

"What the heck does that mean?" I took a seat behind the wheel and started to wiggle a little, letting the chair take my weight.

"You're pestering her about being Commander Jane Shepard. All the Mass Effect crap you keep throwing at her about her decisions and past, just yadda yadda yadda. Just give the girl a break and quit trying to make her live up to some holier than thou video game person."

"Give her a break? Right, you would be asking for me of all people to take it easier on someone." I run my hand across the steering wheel as I turn my head to look at him. "Where is this coming from and where is my asshole brother?" I started to gingerly lean back on the seat, making sure it would hold me.

"Amber, take it from another badass such as myself. You are going to make that woman crazy and she will eventually lose her temper. That's how you end up slammed into a wall, if memory serves."

"She's not going to hurt me. She even stood up for me last night at the party when you two boys were taking your sweet ass time."

"Look, she's going through a unique kind of personal hell, and you've been coming down on her pretty hard. She's been thrown to the wolves and is trying the best that she can to deal with it." Adam wiped the sweat on his forehead, "Besides, where is sweet, lovable Amber? You know, the one that rolls with the punches and has the ability to laugh at things?"

"I don't know Adam. I've just been frustrated." I turn my body to face him, putting my feet back on the asphalt. "It's just one bit of crazy right after the other right now. It's like I can't' get a break to save my effing life."

"You know you_ should_ have worked some of that tension out last night with Dylan. Bow chicka bow wow." Adam's face lit up as he gave me a degenerate little smile. "Isn't that usually why you pop over to see him before finals all the time?"

"I was exhausted and the only thing on my mind was sleep. I even fell asleep as soon as I hit the bed, jeans, tennis shoes, and all."

"I was exhausted too, but I let's just say that it didn't happen till after my invigorating work out." He ran his hand through his short, brown hair before sticking it in his jean's pocket. I watched as he shifted his weight back and forth on his feet.

"What did you do Adam?" I scowled at him as the meaning of the words sank in. If he did anything with Jane I was going to be ill.

"Come on sis, you get two badass people together, drunk, in a hotel room… what did you think was going to happen?"

"Please tell me you are flipping kidding?" I could feel the vomit starting to rise in my throat from the pictures that I was concocting in my head.

"It's a natural thing, and besides I told you that no one resists the power of the Adam… Last night I went nuclear."

"Adam that's just gross, I mean really gross." I took a deep breath and wished that I had crackers to sooth my ever souring stomach. "Please let's pretend you didn't just say that." I started to rummage through my purse, looking for my cell phone and trying to keep my mind from creating the next naked picture of Adam and Jane together.

"Fine by me, she probably doesn't remember half the kinky things that we did anyway." Adam bit his lower lip as he tried to get a bigger rise from me.

"Seriously? You really? Just stop… I just want this to stop." I shook my head and swallowed hard, still trying to keep myself from literally getting sick on his boots.

"Sure, consider it dropped." Adam shrugged his shoulders.

"Go check on Jane please, I'd like to get on the road." I pointed at the building as I hung my head in shame over Adam's conquest the night before.

"Jane in the shower?" A warped sneer crossed Adam's face as he gave me a sarcastic salute, "Yes ma'am I can."

I continued sit there groping for my phone that had to be somewhere in the bottomless pit of a bag. I didn't want to hear about Adam getting it on with Jane, and I definitely didn't want to think about how we were going to cross the border to get into Canada with her. When I finally found the phone, I started to pull open the map tool and let GPS function do the majority of work for me. It looked like I-90 was going to be the easiest route to get to Montreal.

"Amber!" I looked up to see Dylan, all smiles as he walked across the parking lot. He had has bag over his shoulder and seemed to have a pep in his step that told me he was ready for whatever came next.

"Hey Dyl." I shot him a quick smile as I continued to gaze at the directions on the screen, "Looks like the interstate is the quickest way we can take. Did you happen to see Adam or Jane?"

"No, I just finished getting ready and headed straight out here." He fidgeted with the strap of his bag that was sitting on his shoulder, "You okay? You were talking in your sleep all night."

"Fine, just a little more stressed than normal. I'm just thankful for the four hours that I was lucky enough to get."

"I can't say that it wasn't adorable watching you sleep. It's been awhile since we've had any time together, months I think."

"I know and this isn't exactly how I pictured us seeing each other again." I plugged the phone into the car charger before standing back up. "Did I say anything interesting?"

"Nothing that I could make out, I think I heard the word naked or name. Mostly you just murmured and clawed at the pillows a little. So for the most part, it was just the usual stuff you do when you _actually try_ to sleep." He stopped rambling and actually looked at me as I rubbed the back of my neck, "Did you want to talk about it?"

"No, not really." A silence hung between us as I bent down to rub my right knee. I knew that it had been a rough dream, but normally I didn't wake up feeling like it had actually lived it. Everything about this one was different, my feet still had the same sharp tingle and my knee felt like it was actually bruised from the fall.

"Just know that I'm here for you babe." He handed me the hotel room key, "So did I miss something last night with Adam and Jane? I thought you told me they didn't like each other."

"They don't like each other, she was just trying to piss me off. It seems like her and Adam have a lot in common when it comes to that."

"Are you sure? I mean how they were acting with each other was more than two people that didn't' like each other. I could have sworn…"

"Trust me, don't read into that. In fact, forget that you saw them together like that at all."

I tried to give a half-hearted smile to reassure Dylan that he hadn't missed anything as a loud screech of an alarm started. I turned to look at the hotel that was now covered in bright flashing emergency lights and covered my ears. Something had triggered the alarm and chaos began to break out in front of us as people began to pour into the parking lot. I looked at Dylan and shook my head, without a doubt I knew that Jane was somehow tied to this.

"I'll be you anything that his was Jane and Adam's doing!" I called to him over the noise, "Anything!" I could see a tall man with short brown hair was rushing though the people in our general direction.

"Amber!" Adam came over to me and put his hands on his knees, out of breath from his fifty yard dash that was made in record time. "Jane… then blue… then the TV… popped… smoke and… fire…"

"What happened Adam?" I was trying to scream over the sounds of the ongoing alarms without causing anyone else in the area to take notice, "What did you two do?"

"Fire… Alarms… Wow."

"You think?" I searched the people for a glimpse of Jane, hoping that she would be out of the room before anyone else had a chance to figure out that we were somehow linked to the ensuing madness.

"She blew up the television when she used her biotics." Adam said as he regained his breath, "It was an accident."

"She tried to use them on the television?" Dylan covered his mouth with his hand in an attempt to hide his smile.

"Tell me you are kidding Adam." I watched as he shook his head no. "Why do these things keep happening? I mean it's like someone is scripting this stuff to get worse as we go."

"Indeed." Jane crossed her arms on her chest like she had been standing there listening the entire time. Her hair was still soaking wet and water was clinging to her skin indicating that she had dressed and left as fast as she could.

"How did you do that?" Dylan asked, looking around as he checked to make sure no one had seen her suddenly appear from nowhere.

"Amber called it 'space magic' I believe." Jane smirked, "No one saw me." She darted her eyes to Dylan and then back to me.

"Another TV Jane? You blew up another one?"

"What do you mean another one?" Dylan asked over the continuing alarms. He still had a bemused look on his face that he was no longer trying to hide.

"She had an accident at my place just the other night involving a remote that she chunked at my television. I didn't even stop to think about her possibly using her biotics on something electronic."

"Amber, the key thing is that it was an accident. I didn't realize that it was going to cause all of this." She tried not to smirk as she too found humor in the situation.

"Did you get everything out of the room?" I shook my head as I heard the sound of approaching sirens.

"Everything that we went in with anyway." Adam gave a foul chuckle to Jane, who scowled at him in return.

"This is going to suck once they realize that we had something to do with this." We sat back and watched as fire trucks and police vehicle pulled into the hotel parking lot. Dozens of emergency personnel jumped out of vehicles and tried to assess the situation, questioning the hotel personnel and giving the occasional calming statement to the approaching patron.

As the alarms and lights were extinguished, we continued to watch the crew run in and out of the building, trying to reach a mutual consensus of what had taken place to cause the alarm in the first place. After a while, Adam took off into the crowd and tried to see if he could piece together bits of information in order to know what the big picture of things was.

"Electrical overload, something about electrical feedback or overload that caused the alarms to trigger." He said coyly as he came back from his excursion.

"What?" I looked at him, "Mind clarifying that a bit?"

"They are saying that things got too hot in the electrical closet upstairs. Something about circuitry going haywire and the smoke triggering the alarm like there was a fire or something."

"That sounds like a bunch of crap you just made up."

"Just what I heard Amber. If you ask me it's better than some woman blew up the hotel using her 'space magic' to turn off a TV."

"Well it sounds like something might be working in our favor. Are you going to ask if we can leave anytime soon?" Dylan looked at me as he nodded his head at the people starting to filter out of the parking lot and back to their respective rooms. "It looks like they are giving the all clear to go back into the hotel."

"I suppose, otherwise they are going to talk to me eventually. I mean it's only a matter of time until they realize that the TV in one of our rooms was blown to pieces." I brushed my hair out of eyes as I walked up to the hotel clerk that was scribbling on a piece of paper about ten yards away from me. She could have been one of the Stepford wives at first glance, everything about her screamed perfection. Her long brown hair was still in perfect loose curls, even amidst all the chaos.

"Ma'am everything okay?" She looked up from her scribbling, giving me her undivided attention.

"Um, I was wondering what happened? Was there a fire?" I tried to squeeze as much innocence into my voice as humanly possible.

"A breaker overloaded in the electrical closet. It caused the televisions in several of the rooms to short out and the smoke triggered the alarm. What room where you in?" She held her pen to her lip as she gave me a quick look over.

"213 and 215. We were just getting ready to check out when everything happened."

"Oh goodness! Are you all okay? Those rooms were right next to the breaker box." She help her eyes wide open, trying to express her concern about us being so close to the situation. I tried to stifle a laugh, had she only known that we were the ones that actually caused the problem in the first place.

"We're fine, thank you. I think the televisions in the rooms may have shorted but we were already leaving." The Stepford wife paused for a moment before a sweet smile crossed her lips. "Do we need to do anything? I have an important meeting to get to and really need to head out soon."

"If you are all okay then it shouldn't be an issue with you leaving. I mean, at least I don't think so. I'll take your information and should we have any issues we will give you a call." She thumped her pen on her paper as she gave me a winning smile.

"My name is Amber Guille. I was in rooms 213 and 215." She took down my information as a portly police officer came over and watched her. I could smell the odor of coffee pouring off of him as he breathed heavily from all the movement he had to do because of the false alarm. The stereotype of the police officer enjoying his coffee and donuts came to mind as he put his hands in his pockets.

"Thank you Ms. Guille." She nodded her head at me as the heavy set officer started to berate her with a stream of questions. Turning my back to the duo, I hustled back over to the rest of my group. I couldn't help but keep a smile on my face as I scurried over to them, it had seemed that for once luck had actually been on my side.

"So..."

"Let's just get in the car before anyone else stops us." I tell them as I open the car door. The parking lot had been left empty except for the few lingering vehicles that belonged to the people taking statements. I opened my car door and softly sat down in the duct taped seat.

"That's it?" Dylan asked.

"That's it… Turns out that they really think it's an electrical malfunction. At this point, if they don't think we did it, I'm not going to give them a reason to think we did." I turned to the passenger side of the car to see Dylan and Jane staring at one another. Adam had already climbed in to the backs and was working on making himself comfortable by throwing his arm up around the back of the seat. "Dylan let her set up front. You and Adam can use the bonding time."

"Are you kidding?" Adam quickly scoffed from the backseat, "Jane and I…"

"I need Jane to pick somewhere to stop for clothes. She can sit up front." Adam again made a noise of disapproval as Dylan crawled in back with him and he took his arm off the seat. "You okay with jeans and a t-shirt?" I asked her.

"That should be acceptable." Jane slid the seat back into a normal, upright position as she joined us in the car, "Where ever you decide to stop will be fine." She was fighting a look of happiness as she resumed her spot in the front of the car beside me.

"Good." I muttered something about baby steps as she resumed her usual quiet nature beside me.


	9. Chapter 9

Jane was staring at me from the other side of the hard, plastic booth with a look of confusion. She would poke her plate and then look at me, repeating the action over and over as I continued to devour my meal. I had never been happier to find a genuine burger shack in my entire life. Regardless of the protest she was giving me as she sat there, I was going to enjoy every bit of the greasy goodness that had been set in front of me.

"You are eating it like it's your last meal." Jane muttered as she again poked the soft bread that was sitting on top her hamburger. "I've seen marines that haven't eaten in days with better manners." I chose to ignore the fact that she thought that I was eating like a greedy pig as I licked ketchup off my ring finger. Jane could say whatever she wanted at this point, I was in greasy hamburger heaven and frankly just didn't care about anything other than enjoying a normal American classic. The goo from the mixed condiments oozed out of the other side of the burger and fell on the paper with a splat as I took another bite.

"Downt knowe ifh ahl git anodder chance wif you being 'round." I managed to get out in between chewing and wiping the gook from my face. Jane curled her lip as I took a sip of my soda.

"Didn't our parents teach us not to talk with our mouths full?" Adam shot me a look that reminded me of our father as I sank my teeth into the meaty goodness again. Normally I was the one that would be correcting him for being a pig when we tried to enjoy a meal together, but for once I just gave way to my animal instincts that were commanding me to consume in haste.

I wiped my mouth with my hand as I looked back at Jane who was still regarding her meal like it was something from another planet. Jane then tugged at her red shirt that hugged her body before looking down at the jeans that looked like they had been painted on her. I couldn't get over how much fun I had managed to have with her while we were buying her regular everyday clothes. After about an hour of driving, we had spotted a shopping center that had all the stores that we could have possibly needed. I was thankful that they boys had decided to venture off on their own while Jane and I had shopped for her unmentionables. It was actually relaxing. She wasn't anything like the girls that I went to shop with on a normal basis, where they would gab for the entire trip, she would just browse through things quietly.

At first I had tried to educate her on how things were supposed to look on someone, the basic idea of how clothing is supposed to fit and feel on a body. Jane had just shrugged her shoulders when I mentioned that the particular pair of jeans was too tight and fed me a line about needing to be able to move without something getting in the way. I remember how she had walked around in them for several minutes, trying to adjust to how they felt against her skin when she moved. Out of nowhere, she started to squat and jump; she was practically performing acrobatics to ensure that the ensemble would allow her to do what she needed. Patrons in the store had stopped and watched in awe of the six foot woman that moved so effortlessly. The best part is that people had been so intimidated that no one bothered to ask what the hell she was doing all that for.

"Jane, it's got to be better than some of the things you've eaten in your life. Just try it."

"It's made of a cow. I don't mind varren but still…" She let her voice trail off as she wrapped her fingers around the burger.

"It's not that bad. Amber loves them more than anything on this planet." Adam smirks as he waits for her to sink her teeth into it. Jane holds the burger up to her nose and sniffs it before taking her first bite. Her eyes immediately widen and close as she starts to moan.

"Are you kidding me?" She whispers as she takes another mouth full. I just smile as I continue to scarf down my greasy mess.

"Tvold duew." I manage to get out as I watch Jane start to match my pace. Both of us have gone to another plane of existence as we enjoy our meal, leaving the boys staring in wonderment.

"So Dylan? Engineering hunh? That why you took a liking to Amber?" Adam nodded his head in my direction.

"Something like that. We just had too many things in common to deny the fact that we should be together."

"Uh hunh, she sure as hell talked about you enough. It's always something about needing to call you or multi-variable calculus, how much she likes you and wants to see you again…" I moved to kick Adam under the table but missed, hitting Jane in the shin causing her to give me a quick scowl before continuing to eat.

"Sowwy." I said as I inhaled the last bite of my burger.

"What about your girlfriend Cas?" Dylan asked with a sly grin. I stopped in the middle of licking my index finger as Jane's eyes went wide. It seemed like everything started to go in slow motion as she turned her head to face Adam.

"You have a girlfriend?" The words hung in the air as Adam turned beet red, "A girlfriend and you and I…"

"Jane, I can explain…" Adam put his hands up defensively as Jane put down her half eaten hamburger.

"Explain?"

"She's not really my girlfriend, she's just a friend of Amber's that I use to my benefit." Adam was trying to stay calm as he watched Jane process the information.

"You use her for sex?" Jane asked without emotion in her voice. Adam and Cas were an on again off again thing that he had never taken seriously much to my dislike.

"Cas isn't his girlfriend Jane, they just relieve tension together." I try to get something out as I watch her give Adam the look of death. "They aren't really together like Dylan and I are."

"I thought you said that they didn't like each other?" Dylan leaned over and whispered to me as Jane slowly turned back to her burger. "That looked like they like each other." He gave me an 'I told you so' look as I rolled my eyes and gestured towards the growing situation in front of us.

"I didn't want this to happen." I tried to whisper back as I watched Adam's face turn back to its normal color.

"You know that I can hear you Amber." Jane said flatly as she started to poke the burger again.

"I know you can both hear us, I'm not stupid. It wasn't our business what you two did and I just want to pretend like the whole thing never happened. I told Dylan not to read into it. I didn't know that he was going to bring up Cas."

"You always talk about Cas." Dylan said in his defense.

"She's my best friend and he's my brother, of course I'm going to talk about her. It doesn't mean that you… Just forget it. Forget that any of it ever happened and just enjoy the awkward silence."

"I can agree to that." Jane rubbed her fingers on her napkin as she glared at Adam again.

"Jane, you have a boyfriend, you might even call him a bond mate. Just let it go and chalk it up to one drunken night of whatever." The idea of them sleeping together was already doing a number on my stomach. Jane slowly picked up the remainder of her burger and gradually resumed eating.

"You might be able to pretend like it never happened my amazon queen, but I'll be reliving every moment in here." Adam tapped his finger to the side of his head as he grinned ear to ear.

"If I hit you hard enough you might get brain damage, it would take care of that issue." I glanced back at Jane as I shook my head.

"Nineteen more hours in the car together, I can do this."

* * *

Ten hours into the twenty hour drive, a blinding migraine had developed that was causing me to see white spots everywhere I looked. I had subtly mentioned that I was tired of driving and at a random gas station out in the middle of nowhere, we had rotated positions in the car. Dylan took a turn driving while Adam took a turn sitting in the front seat where he would help navigate the map. Jane and I had posted up in the backseat, where I was trying to hide my eyes from the sun. The throbbing ache in my head wasn't getting any better as time passed, even with the handfuls of migraine medicine I had swallowed didn't do anything to make the feeling go away.

"You okay?" Jane had a genuine expression of concern for my well-being on her face as I dabbed my watering eyes.

"I'm fine. I just have a migraine unlike anything I have ever felt in my life. It's like the pressure in my head is building up, and I can't get it to stop." I swipe my fingers underneath my eyes again to rub away any residual tears.

"I used to get migraines when I was a kid. I believe that they told me it was something to do with biotic feedback."

"I've been getting random migraines my entire life. I don't have any biotics, just nightmares that seem to get worse when I start to stress about things."

"I understand the nightmares under pressure. Human biotics weren't readily accepted well by the rest of our kind."

"I bet that made life interesting." Dylan said from the front seat, "How long did it take you to master the whole vanguard thing?"

"It was always natural. It came like breathing to me, and after I got the implant it just continued to get better." Jane kept talking to Dylan as I closed my eyes and leaned against the window. The cool glass felt good on my forehead as I tried to let myself drift to sleep. The longer that I had my eyes closed the further and further the voices in the car seemed to get from me. I could feel the ache start to subside as time passed and finally, I fell asleep.

When I opened my eyes again the pain in my head had gone and night had come. I was thankful I wasn't going to have to fight the bright sun and continue to be blinded by a migraine that just wouldn't quit. I stretched my arms out in front of me and looked around the car. Dylan and Adam were talking about music as Jane laid with her head facing straight forward and her eyes closed.

"Where are we?" My voice cracked, indicating that while I was awake, that my body was still attempting to catch up with my brain.

"We are about an hour outside the border of Canada. You've been asleep for about nine hours. Can't say that watching you sleep was easy on any of us, but we knew that you needed it." Dylan took a peek at me in the review mirror as Adam turned to face me.

"He's right you know? I've never seen you look like you were in pain while you were sleeping, even wincing and doing the silent scream thing over and over."

"What the heck are you talking about? I was out cold, I can't even remember my dreams this time."

"You kept muttering about death and burning. I watched you dig your nails into your legs and the palms of your hands a few times too. At first I thought you were up, but Dylan tells me that's how you've been sleeping." I hold my hands up to my face to see if there was any evidence about what he was insinuating with the poor lighting of the dark car. Little crescent moons where the flesh was pealed back and the raw meat of my palms was now exposed dotted the palms of my hands causing me to sigh.

"Damn. I hate it when I do that. I'd hate to see what I did to my legs." I softly start to caress myself through my jeans, looking for the damage that I'd taken on while I slept.

"You're nightmares must rival my own." Jane stated stoically as she opened her eyes and lifted her head off the seat, "What are you dreaming about that makes you do that?"

"Nothing that makes me want to dig my nails into the palms of my hands. One time it was about zombies that were running through the streets of Austin popping balloons. It was two of my worst nightmares coming to life in one dream. That one gave me creeps for days." I started to laugh at the thought of what my so called nightmares were. I wasn't ready to share what had really been going on through my head, it was too real and I needed everyone focused on the tasks ahead.

"You always were weird Amber." Adam resumed looking through the IPod as I l glanced over at Jane. She scowled out me as she mouthed 'you're lying' without the others taking notice. I tried to resist the urge to stick my tongue out at her and act like a child for her calling me on my B.S.

"We should stop soon. I need to stretch my legs." She arched her back, sticking her chest out and stretching for a moment. She had changed the flow of the conversation without hesitation, giving me a moment alone with my thoughts about the vivid dreams I had been having. I tried to shift my focus to the new landscape outside, but with everything engulfed in darkness it was hard to pick something to let my mind grab onto.

"Sure thing baby, I'd be happy to watch you stretch those long beautiful legs of yours again." Adam smirked and Jane quickly smacked him over the back of his head.

"I'm not your babe, Adam. Last night was nothing more than a one-time thing."

"Actually if I remember correctly it was a three time thing."

"I'm going to be sick if you two talk about it." I make the gesture of throwing up as the two of them continue.

"It was three times because someone couldn't keep up with the pace of things. Things would end as soon as they had started."

"Gross! That's just too much!" I put my hand on my chest, trying to shake the images from the fore font of my head, "Please don't make me sick in the car, please."

"We need a plan to get her across the border. Anyone have any ideas?" Dylan spoke up, trying to stop the conversation from getting into more personal details and the two of them from fighting in the car.

"Well she is a vanguard, just have her shoot across the border and no one will know what happened." I throw out there casually. I twisted my hair around my fingers, pondering if the idea could actually work.

"That actually doesn't sound like a bad idea."

"Jane, would that actually work?" I smirked as I faced her, thinking that this may be easier than I had led myself to believe.

"How tight is the security to get across the border?"

"I think it depends on the area. You're faster than the human eye, and it's not like you would let yourself get caught."

"Then it shouldn't' be a problem." Jane traced her finger along the edge of the glass window, "We just need to find a meeting place on the other side."

"Okay, Dylan let's find a place to stop and we can actually plan this out." I listened to the clicking of the blinker as he switched lanes and started to look for an exit that actually showed signs of life. About five minutes down the road, he took the exit and pulled up at a local coffee house.

"All ashore that are going ashore!" Adam called as he opened the door. I rolled my eyes as we all piled out of the car.

"You two go ahead, I need a minute with Amber." Jane nodded at the building and slammed the car door. Adam looked at Dylan, shrugged his shoulders and started inside.

"Order for us!" I yelled at them before the door closed and I was left alone with Jane, "Something on your mind Shep?"

"You're lying about those dreams. Talk." Jane had all her weight on one foot and her arms crossed just below her chest.

"You're reading in to something that isn't there Jane. It's just a flipping dream that keeps coming up."

"How long have you been having the same dream?"

"I don't know, months? Like I said, it's not a big deal." I run my fingers through my bangs and avoid making eye contact, "What?" I ask her, "What is the big damn deal?"

"Months? I had the same dream for weeks and it haunted my very existence and you've been dealing with it for months?"

"Dreams, not reality, it's not a memory of something that I had to live through or something." I push past her and start to walk for the door as she grabs my wrist.

"When a memory feels as valid as life…"

"Don't go all Thane on me. Look, it's a creepy forest full of trees and brown leaves. I'm always naked and feel like I'm on fire. I can't move, I can't see, hell I can't even effing breath without thinking I am going to die. Then I wake up and everything goes back to normal."

"Except that you still feel everything that happened, just not as strongly."

"Look I said that it's not a big deal, can we just drop it?" Jane drops my wrist and looks at me with concern.

"There is something to this Amber, I know that you don't think so but there is."

"Dreams Jane, come on." I make for the door, "Let's plan out getting you across the border." I spot Adam and Dylan sitting in the corner, far enough away from everyone that a conversation shouldn't be over heard by anyone of importance.

"Everything okay?" Dylan asks as I sit next to him. I smile and kiss his cheek, nodding my head as I grab the coffee cup that's marked with an A.

"It's fine hon, just girl talk." I watched Jane as she took her spot next to Adam and grabbed her coffee marked with a J. "So, where do we start?"

"I was looking at the map. Seems like about thirty minutes from here there is a back road that will get Jane within a few miles of the border. I say we drop her off and let her make her way through the woods and meet her on the other side over here." Adam swipes his finger on the map and points to a small town.

"She's going to have to walk forever to get there." Dylan looks at Jane, "Not that you can't do miles, I'm just thinking about the time it's going to take."

"I can move fast enough."

"You think that you are going to beat us there on foot?" Adam started to laugh, "Babe, you're amazing and all, but that's not going to happen?"

"Care to put your money where your mouth is?" Jane scowled as I tried to interrupt.

"Anyway, I guess you have black armor is something to be thankful for. I imagine that you're going to be wearing it right?"

"I am."

"Good, I don't need my car getting searched and the authorities asking me what the hell is going on." I looked at the three of them, "Well, grab your coffee, and let's do this." I stand up and gesture for the group to file out in front of me.

"We aren't done Amber." Jane tells me in a hushed tone, "Not by a long shot."

"That's fine, we can deal with it later." I flash a Miss America smile as I head towards the door. I grab the keys from Dylan, "Jane up front, boys in back."


	10. Chapter 10

**This chapter is extra long! I'm sorry I just got super carried away with a few of the ideas. I hope that you enjoy it! Love y'all!**

* * *

Rain pelted the windshield as I turned down some dirt road in the middle of nowhere. Everything was screaming that this was a bad idea as the headlights illuminated giant orange water puddles on the path in front of me. I was sure that if was to try and go through one that my car was going to be devoured, drowning us at the bottom of some endless hole. I took a deep breath and held it as I started down the path that would get Jane into position for her trek to Canada. The crunch of the gravel echoed in the tires and the rain started again with renewed ferocity.

"Just stop the car." Jane said flatly, "If you get stuck this will all have been pointless. I can make it across from here." I stopped the car and looked at her for a moment, grabbing my cell phone and shoving it in her hand.

"When you get across make for the town and I'll meet you there as soon as possible. If something goes wrong…"

"Nothing will go wrong." Jane spoke with confidence, "This is the easy part."

"Still, I have a friend who lives about an hour north of here. He knows that we are in the area and can come find you if I don't show. He isn't aware of the _entire_ situation, and I'd like to keep him in the dark as much as possible."

"Friend?" Dylan questioned from the back seat.

"Ryan just moved into the area, I don't need him in the middle of things but I wouldn't feel right without some kind of plan in case things…" I let my voice trail into silence as I glanced at Jane.

"Don't call unless you don't show, that's simple enough to understand." She put her hand on the handle, "Be careful, I don't want have to come back across and look for you."

"I…" Before I could get the sentence out Jane was gone, her armor glinted for a split second as she charged her biotics and vanished into the dark thicket of trees. I stared at the open door where she was just sitting seconds before, waiting for some kind of indication that this wasn't going to work and that we needed to rethink things. I closed my eyes, listening to the rain hit the car until Adam started to talk.

"She'll be fine. You don't have to worry so much about everything. You were the one saying Commander Shepard can handle anything."

"I know, it doesn't mean that I'm not a little worried about it." I gripped the steering wheel with everything I had while I waited for Adam to push the seat forward and crawl out of the back. He repositioned himself and shut the door, causing me to jump from the sudden bang.

"Amber, you are really out of it."

"There are a million things running through my head, I'm just trying to stay focused on what matters."

"Well it's not working. Let's get to the crossing and finish this." Adam smiles as I put the car in reverse, "We are almost there sis, almost."

"I know, I just can't help feeling like something else is bound to go wrong. This has been too easy." I back onto the paved road and start back towards the interstate. I tried to keep the thoughts about Jane being caught from plaguing me while I drove, so I kept trying to start a conversation. Adam would give me one worded answers and Dylan was half asleep in the backseat. I resolved to try to listen to music until I made it back to I-90, flipping through the songs like a mad woman who couldn't be satiated by listening to just anything. After closing in on civilization, Adam raised an eyebrow and faced me.

"Amber, just take it easy. It's been thirty minutes and she's probably across the border already." Adam growled as I changed the music yet again.

"She'll call right? I mean she'll know that I am the kind of person that needs to hear that she is okay?" I could feel the tension in every muscle of my body as I struggled to put on a façade of calm.

"I'm sure." Adam gives me his crooked smile as he motions towards the road in front of us, "Besides, it's more likely that we will screw this up than she will."

"That's reassuring."

"I'm just saying that if something is flawed in this, it's going to be us."

"Adam, that's not making me feel any better about the whole situation."

"It's your brother. Did you really think he would give you words of encouragement or something?" Dylan poked his head in between the two seats and smirked. "It's his job to make you more nuts that you already are."

"Thanks for the reassurance Dyl." I watched him recoil into the back seat and start to stretch. I turned off the high beams as I reached the frontage road, not wanting to blind the other motorists.

"Amber you okay driving across? Did you want one of us to do this?" Adam asked nonchalantly from the seat beside me.

"I got this. I don't need to be babied Adam." I took the road that merged on to I-90 and went silent. There were so many things that were raising red flags in my head about this, a multitude of possibilities of something going wrong. I could see the signs along the interstate that provided warnings that we were reaching the end of the states and that Canada was rapidly approaching. The air in the car was suffocating me as I fought the adrenaline that was slowly working its way into my system.

I watched as the lanes went from free flowing traffic to a standstill at the upcoming check point. The border wasn't packed, partially due to the fact that we had chosen such a late time to arrive at the crossing. Signs were lit up, causing the reflection of yellow and orange to trickle across the wet asphalt. The Canada Border Services personnel were waving people through the check point slowly, indicating which lanes we were supposed to enter into. I looked at Adam and then to Dylan in the rearview mirror.

"Alright, I need passports or driver's licenses, hand them to me so we can get this over with." I hold my hand out while keeping focus on the people in front of me. One of the cars is told to pull to the side for a random search causing me to get chills up my spine. Jane had taken her armor with her, meaning that if we were searched there wouldn't be questions about it. Three ID's were placed in my hand as I continued to watch the Canadian border patrol work. It seemed like they were methodical and quick at getting people across, much to my liking.

"Ma'am." A gruff, ragged voice came at me through the closed window as a man in uniform tapped on the class with the butt of his flashlight. I had been so focused on the cars in front of me I had missed the man's approach to the car. I rolled down my window and painted a chipper smile on my face.

"Hola!" I tried to stay positive as I passed him the ID's "It's cold out here, hope you get off soon. I mean so you can get out of the cold. I'm just not use to the cold, I mean I'm from Texas and our cold is your summer. I just don't think I could stand out here and be all serious while freezing my balls off. Not that you don't have balls anymore I'm just…" I started to ramble as the man pointed his flashlight in my face.

"You're from Texas." The man's sense of humor apparently wasn't on the clock as he gave me a stern look. "I'm going to have to ask you to pull over here. You've been selected for a random vehicle search." I just nodded my head as I looked to the direction he was pointing. I could feel my muscles starting to give into the adrenaline, causing my legs start to shake violently. He pointed the flashlight at my lap, taking notice of the oncoming tremors and a smile crept across his unshaved face.

"Not a problem. Just pull in there?" I motioned to the right, where two concrete pillars stood on either side of a very wide parking spot. The man just nodded his head as he muttered something into his radio and brusquely walked away. I put the car into drive and tried to gracefully maneuver in between the lines. A woman waited at the front of the spot, making a motion with her hands to continue to move forward until I hit her mark. Suddenly she gestured for me to stop as the car was in the correct place for them to start their search. I threw the vehicle into park and turned off the engine as she moved over to the driver's side of the car.

"Ma'am, I need you to pop the trunk and the hood. Please ensure that all your doors are unlocked at the glove box is open." Adam opened the door and moved the seat for Dylan to get out of the back. I nodded my head as I pulled the levers by the seat and opened the various compartments of the car. I stood up and started to step away from the car as men with mirrors and gloves descended from different directions to begin their search.

"Do you have my ID's?" I asked the woman who looked at me like I had just committed some taboo offense in asking.

"They'll be returned to you when we have completed our search. Will you please pop the trunk?" I looked over my left shoulder and crinkled my face in confusion. I was sure I had pulled the lever but the trunk was still fully closed. I rounded the vehicle and put the key into the lock, flinging the trunk open with a smile. I took a quick look down and saw something glint in the light, Jane's gun. I just sat there, dumfounded in why she didn't take the weapon with her, why she would leave the stupid thing in the car but take her armor? I darted my eyes over to Adam and Dylan, trying to let them know how screwed we were getting ready to be.

"I… I…" I could feel my stomach lurch, my nerves mixed with the adrenaline had not been kind to me so far, what would make me think that this was going to be any better. I bent over the trunk of my car, letting my head get fully inside, and threw up.

"Ma'am!" The woman shouted as my body continued to try and empty my stomach. I winced as felt her touch my shoulders, trying to pull me back. I wasn't done and my gut was determined to be rid of everything that was contained inside of it. As I continued to spew, I aimed for the corner where I had seen the weapon, figuring that maybe this would deter them from fully searching the trunk of the car.

"Amber really?" Adam started to laugh at me as I continued to let lose of my last meal and coffee.

"Ma'am, please refrain…" The woman tried to talk to me again as I started to dry heave, putting my hands against the trunk of the car to brace myself from the urge to fall over. She took a step back, turning her head to look away from me as I sat there with tears running down my face. My body wasn't going to let this onset of nausea stop more adrenaline from pumping itself into my system, and the shaking went from violent to near uncontrollable. I held a hand out and glanced at it, watching the tremors become worse with each passing second.

"Amber come on! Let them search the trunk already so that we can go!" Adam yelled. I tried to stand up again, bracing myself against the trunk as I glared at him. I wanted to yell at him but couldn't get the words to come out for fear that my dry heaves would start again. My eyes went from Adam to the woman who was standing beside me, her hand over her face as she tried to hide the fact she was flushing bright red. I couldn't tell if she was embarrassed that this had just happened under her watch or if she was trying to hide the fact she was laughing at my expense.

"I'm so sorry, I'm motion sick and just feel awful about this." I use the back of my hand to wipe my face, "I'm really sorry."

"You can go." She holds out my ID's and looks at me, "We've searched the car, there's nothing in the trunk but vomit. I am not sticking my hands in that." She flicked her wrist as she continued to hold the ID's out.

"I mean I can help, I'll go through it and let you see everything. The spare should…" I put my head back into the trunk and start to lift the edges of the mat, telling myself to be convincing.

"Ma'am, really get in the car and go. I advise that you pull to the side up there and do what you can to clean things up a bit." I nod my head and force a smile, trying not to make it obvious that I was in a hurry to get away from this situation and that she was giving me a way out.

"Thank you." I manage to tell her quietly as I grab the ID's and I get back into the car. I shut the door and wait for the boys to get in, avoiding any eye contact with them as I buckle my seat belt.

"You threw up everywhere." Adam said still laughing, "I knew I should have been the one driving."

"Just shut up. We'll get out of here and I'll get it cleaned up." I turned the key to start the car and drove away from the embarrassment. I still felt sick, and the smell from the trunk was leaking into the car. The boys rolled the windows down as I continued to drive to what looked like a car wash at the back of a gas station. The moment I put the car in park I started to laugh hysterically, causing both of the boys to stare at me with confusion written plainly on their faces.

"What is so funny?" Dylan asked as he leaned into the front seat, "You could have been arrested back there."

"I almost was." I managed to calm down my hysterics, "Throwing up all over the trunk of the car saved all three of us."

"What are you talking about? They should have finished searching the car, you stopped that from happening. No matter how you look at that, it's illegal."

I nodded my head, "Highly, but so is the damn gun that Jane left in the trunk."

"What? She left her gun?"

"Yes, she left it there. I was feeling sick and just decided that it was worth a shot and threw up in the trunk. They had to make a choice, dig through it and arrest me or let me go. I can't believe that they let me go." I smiled as I put my hand on the handle of the door, "I have to get water and fill up the car. I guess I should clean out the trunk while I'm at it."

* * *

"Give me your phone." I held my hand out as I kept my eyes in front of me, "Adam, now." It had taken me entirely too long to clean up the mess that I had made in the trunk of the car from when we were crossing the border. I didn't want to risk the smell of stomach acid and partially digested burger creeping into the cab of the vehicle while we attempted to make our way to Bioware.

"You think that she called him already?"

"I'm sure, we are running so far behind schedule that I'm sure they're already together. Now give me the phone."

"Do you even know Ryan's number?" He fumbled around in his pants pocket while I continued to hold my hand out beside me.

"No, I know my own though." Life had dictated that I had added a multitude of international services to my phone line recently, my relationship with Ryan being the main reason.

"Here, my phone isn't set up for international anything." Adam shoved the phone into my beckoning hand.

"Good thing I work telecom in the states and know that the damn networks here are the same as over there as long as I'm near the border." I gave him a sly smile as I punched my number into his phone, "Smartass." I sat there listening to the digital ring while I pressed it against my ear.

"Hello?" A man's voice answered the phone, gruff and determined.

"Ryan?"

"Speaking, this Amber?"

"You know this is Amber damn it! Where is Jane?" I could hear a loud buzzing on the phone, putting me on edge, "Driver! Put that damn woman on the phone!"

"Pulling out the nicknames already Bronzey?" I sighed as he started to laugh in the phone, "Calm down woman, she's fine. Jane's sitting right here." I took a deep breath and held it for a moment, trying to release the anger as I let the air escape from my chest.

"Sorry Ryan, I just have been worried sick and she hasn't called." I bit my bottom lip as I realized that I was more worried about Jane than I had initially thought I was. Something about being with her and around her made me feel stronger, more empowered than when I was on my own. When she was gone it was like a big piece of me was missing.

"She's busy at the moment."

"Busy? What the hell are you two doing?"

"Sitting here at the house waiting for you to show up, we decided that keeping her in cosplay out in public wasn't the smartest idea. She had mentioned something about being discrete." I felt my mouth hanging open. I didn't even think about her walking around in the N7 armor in the middle of the night.

"I suppose you're right. Did my number show up on the caller ID?"

"Yeah, it did."

"Good, if anything happens before I get there call me. I have your address and we're on our way."

"You got it Bronzey." The line went dead and the phone flashed the time of the call as I handed it back to Adam.

"Alright, so you were right. I didn't think things through." I admitted tersely, I just wanted to physically see that she was okay, and keep Ryan from putting anything together that would cause another body to accompany on me on my trip.

"So he didn't say anything about her armor?"

"He called it cosplay. I'm hoping that either she said it, or that he wasn't trying to put two and two together."

"What did you tell Ryan to make him go pick her up?" Dylan asked with a smirk, "He's smarter than you think, I wouldn't be surprised if he knows that she's Shepard by the time we get there."

"I said that I was meeting a friend and I didn't need her walking around the streets looking for me. All Ryan asked me was what she looked like and a name. Plus, I wasn't sure if he would even need to be involved. She called him remember?"

"Right, this is going to be fun." Adam started to chuckle as I gripped the steering wheel. I didn't want to think about Ryan trying to help us with something so complicated. He was a good friend, and asking him to get further involved with something that was sure to get more complicated was just evil of me. Wasn't it?

* * *

Adam took over the job of navigation as I focused all my energy into driving through the sludge that the rain was making on the road. I was feeling better than when I had tossed my cookies all over the trunk hours earlier, but the migraine was slowly making itself known again. I rubbed my temple with my left hand, keeping the right on the wheel.

"Turn left at the next intersection. Ryan's place should just be around the corner." Adam looked up from the phone and out the window at the giant houses that loomed over us in the darkness. "You have interesting friends, what does Ryan do again?"

"Pilot, well he was a pilot. He actually was picked up by some company and helped them in making some massive moves in the business sector. Now he pushes paper from one side of the desk to the other."

"When did that happen?" Dylan asked as he folded his arms across his chest, "I thought he was still working up north?"

"Things change, I thought I had mentioned that to you at some point, didn't I?" I smile as I pick out the drive to Ryan's place.

"Amber, it's just another driveway, I don't even see a house." Adam muttered as he looked at the elaborate gate that opened to trees and seemingly nothing else.

"He likes privacy. his house should be at least a mile down that driveway." I could feel myself flush in anticipation of seeing Ryan shortly. He had changed his entire life in the past year, giving me more credit that I deserved for all of his hard work. I rolled up to the gate and pushed the code, it was a good thing I knew the man so well that his security system would do little to hold me back from seeing him.

"I thought you told me you two weren't _that_ close?" Dylan asked from the backseat, "You act like you've done this before." At that moment I realized that Dylan was in the dark about the relationship that I had been cultivating with our mutual friend.

"I talk to this man almost every day and you think I wouldn't know his damn gate code?" I could feel the red in my cheeks. "The code is my birthday Dyl, I was on the phone with him when I was setting it and he needed a number. Don't read into it." Over the past year Ryan and I had become a regular features in one another's lives. When I needed a shoulder to cry on or someone to vent to he had always been there, a phone call away. Dylan was scowling at the back of my head, making me more self-conscious than I was used to.

"Just friends right sis?" Adam looked at me and then to Dylan, clearly enjoying my discomfort.

"Shut up Adam!" The driveway was long and windy, making it a little more difficult to navigate as I followed the lights along both sides of the road to the house. I put the car in park and sat there looking at the huge building. It had to be a mansion, the old style ionic columns adorned the front of the walk, the windows had to be at least ten feet high, and the door was bright blue and modern looking. I sat there staring at it, trying to wrap my head around what kind of lifestyle he was really living. I knew that things had dramatically changed but this… this was just insane. I opened the door to the car and made my way up the stairs to the huge door. I stood there regarding the place in awe, my Ryan had all this?

"Bronzey?" The door opened and there he was, standing just a tad higher than me and nothing but muscle.

"Drivey!" I yelled as I ran up to him, wrapping my arms around his waist, "I haven't seen you in a month!"

"A month?" Dylan asked curtly from behind me, "You haven't seen me in _months_ but you were able to make time to see him?"

"It's not like that Dylan. He came to Austin for a conference and stopped by for dinner a few times. I could have sworn that I had mentioned it." I could feel myself pull away from Ryan as Dylan's attitude was made more apparent.

"I would have remembered." He said flatly as he walked up to Ryan, "Driver, nice place."

"Dylan! I haven't seen you in ages. Tell me, how are classes? How's Amber treating you?"

"Things are fine, classes are fine, I'm fine." Dylan walked through the front door, leaving me at a loss for words on what had just happened. I knew that he wasn't the kind of person that handled surprises well and would need a few minutes to adjust to everything. I tried not to react, hoping that after a little time had passed we would be okay and he would go back to my lovable Dylan.

"Long day and we're kind of all tired. Ryan you remember my brother Adam." I tried to stay chipper as I motioned towards my country bumpkin brother.

"Of course." I let the two of the reintroduce themselves as I made my way inside Ryan's place, still trying to let the massive size of the house sink in.

"Jane!" I yelled as I took a step through the door, listening to my voice echo off the walls. I covered my mouth quickly, sure that I had woken up every single person within listening distance. "Sorry!" I whispered as Ryan started to laugh behind me.

"She's in the other room, in front of the computer playing one of my games. No worries, she's been…. entertaining."

"Yeah, well..." I rubbed the back of my neck, "Jane's sure something isn't she?"

"Indeed, she is." As if the Cheshire English accent hadn't been enough to tell me who was there, I turned my head to see another familiar face descending down the stairs that caused me to stop, "I believe this is where you say Amiee and squeal with delight that I am standing here before you." I stared at the woman as she gracefully took her final step off the staircase and onto the landing.

"Amiee!" I ran to her and wrapped my arms around her, squeezing the breath out of her with everything in me. "What the hell are you doing here? I thought you had the book signing thing over in London this weekend?" Amiee wasn't taken off guard by my greeting, she was a friend of mine from grade school that was moved to England when she was just a kid. When she started college the professors quickly made a big deal about her writing style and before we knew it she had become a published author with a giant international following.

"No, I had to take a sudden vacation, Ryan offered me a place to get away for a few days and so… here I am." I let go of the woman and looked her up and down, she was beautiful in her black, form fitting dress and short dark hair.

"I just… Ryan didn't… Damn, I'm at a loss for words." I was flabbergasted at the thought of her really standing there before me. Amiee was the last person I was expecting to see with Ryan on some random whim, causing me to think that there was something more than a friendship between the two of them.

"So you just came to Canada for a vacation? Something about that sound a little off to you?" I put my hands on my hips and gave a wide grin, trying to let the two of them know that I was aware of their 'relationship'.

"That would be me." Ryan waved his hand, "I dropped her name to a client who was a huge fan. Amiee helped me seal the deal with that about a week ago."

"Uh hunh..." I rubbed the back of my neck and looked at the two, "I mean better than just a random vacation. I guess I just figured Ryan would have mentioned it to me at some point."

"Indeed." Amiee said again looking at me with concern, "You okay honey?"

"Yea, just have a migraine… and I'm at a loss for words."

"That's new, I mean the loss for words part… Not the migraine." Jane popped her head in the room, looking at me sternly, "You didn't show." She walked to my side and looked down at me.

"You left _something_ in the trunk, I had to think fast." I tried to explain without showing that I was just as frustrated and worried as she was. "And I didn't know that it was going to take so long."

"Again, you didn't show and I had to call him." She nodded her head at Ryan, "_Because_ you didn't show when you said that you would."

"You didn't call me either!" I looked at the crowded room, feeling the eyes of five other people watching everything that I did made me question what they needed to hear us say, "Um, maybe you can excuse us for a moment. Ryan, you think you can show them around, maybe to a room or something?"

"Right." Ryan looked at Adam and Dylan, aware that Jane and I needed space, "I can show you to a room or two. I figured you'd want to get some sleep before you head out again anyway."

"I'm going to make a new brew. Would you care for a cup of earl grey Amber?"

"Certainly. Thank you Amiee." I look at Jane and sigh, "This is so much more complicated that what I wanted it to be." She looked at me as we waited for the room to become silent and empty.

"No one here is any wiser to who I really am. They just think I'm a friend of yours that was wondering around in cosplay." Jane moved to stand in front of me, putting me on edge slightly.

"You mean they really don't know?" I looked up at her, "That's something to be happy about."

"I didn't think that you wanted anyone else involved."

"You have no idea how right you are on that." I took deep breathe and looked up at her, "What?"

"Are you ready to be honest with me?"

"Honest about what?" I took a step back as Jane started to glow blue, "Jane stop, someone is going to see!" I tried to yell in a whisper.

"No, we're doing this here and now." She grabbed my wrist and everything went bright blue. I could feel my knees buckle as she reached out to grab me, fire burning throughout every inch of my body. The migraine was the furthest thing from my mind as I felt myself start to black out.


	11. Chapter 11

"Jane Shepard!" I screamed as loud as my lungs would let me as I was brutally forced to meet reality again. Sweat was beading at the base of my neck and rolling down to meet my already soaked shirt I as I sat straight up in a soft bed. A thin red sheet had been draped over me while I had slept, keeping the crisp cool air from reaching my overheating skin. I noticed that my hands were gripping the material tightly, keeping me from letting my fingernails plunge back into my already shredded palms.

I blinked a few times, trying to make my eyes adjust to the mid morning sunlight that was tracing in through the window and dancing across the tiled floor. The mixture of greys and reds gave everything a modern feel, making the room look like something that you would see in a magazine dedicated to the rich and famous. Coming to terms with the idea that I wasn't in some awful nightmare any longer, I quickly scanned the room for the sign of something familiar. I rubbed my neck, trying to move slowly as I grasped for the last thing I could remember.

_I remember Jane grabbing me… no she wasn't just grabbing me she was burning me.. Burning me to prove a point. Damn it, she lit up and used her biotics to knock me out before I had a chance to do anything! Jane, how could you do that to me?_

"Jane!" Anger started to course through my veins, permitting me to ignore the pain that was still resonating from the most recent dream about the grey forest and brown leaves. "Jane get in here now!" Without thinking about it I was moving towards the door, feeling the cold from the tile floor pierce the fire that was growing in every inch of my being. With each passing moment the ache grew increasingly worse, causing me to reach the center of the lavish room and stop. I tried to steady myself as the waves of pure hell started to hit me with renewed vigor. As I allowed myself to grow more livid at Jane, the sensations started to amplify at a phenomenal rate. Finally I couldn't take another ounce of the torment and dropped to my knees as I screamed out in agony.

"Amber?" A soft voice echoed from the other side of the bedroom door, "Amber are you okay?"

"No!" I put my fingers in my stringy blonde hair, clawing at my scalp as everything started to turn blue again, "What the hell is going on?" The door opened, revealing the silhouette of a figure standing in the frame.

"Calm down! You have to calm down!" The outline of the woman bolted towards me as I continued to flounder for anything to kill the ongoing scourges of throbbing torture.

"This is effing calm!" I screeched as I toppled over, curling into a ball against the floor, "Make it stop, for the love of all that is holy make it stop!" Tears started to fall from my face as the blue ebbed in beautiful pulses around me. The woman was now kneeling on the floor next to me as she ignored the bright light that was engulfing the entire center of the room. A hand was softly placed upon my shoulder, "It burns, everything about this sucks!" I whimpered as I started to feel sobs come from my chest. I pulled myself into this angel that was sure to be bringing me some type of salvation, wrapping my arms around her body. Like an animal that was in pain, I began to rub my skin against her clothing and skin, trying to stop the pain for coursing through me as she offered some kind of comfort.

"If you don't calm down this is going to get worse." Jane was grabbing me, stroking her fingers against my skin as I snuggled with my head on her lap.

"What is this? Tell me what this is?" I tried to stop crying, to stop doing anything that would create more of the agony that was slowly starting to subside as she stroked my hair behind my ear.

"It's natural, I just didn't think that it was possible at this time. You don't have humans that have been diagnosed with this condition and there is no treatment."

"Condition? I'm sick? I'm sick and going to die before we get you home." I put my fingers to my lips as the blue light faded into nothing, "What am I going to do?"

"Don't be so dramatic, you aren't going to die."

"It just hurts Jane, everything hurts every time I try to sleep. I thought it was just a nightmare, and just the normal migraines I've had since I was a teenager."

"I know, and I'm sorry that I didn't realize it sooner." She placed her hand on the small of my back as I started to shift my weight back to my knees. I put my hands on the floor, tracing the edge of one of the grey tiles as I started to sit back up.

"I don't understand. Why is this happening?"

"You're a biotic, I just don't know how it's happened. Eezo isn't a part of this time, it's not even discovered here yet."

"Biotic? Have you lost your mind?" I force my eyes to meet hers, stopping the tears and trying to wrap my head around the dumbest thing I had ever heard the woman say. "It's not possible."

"Explain to me why you were lit up bright blue then?"

"Listen to yourself? I'm a normal human from _this_ century, I've never been exposed to anything remotely close to something that could cause biotics." My hands were still pressed against the cold floor as I stared at them in disbelief. "I was having a hard enough time dealing with your biotics and then…"

"You can do this, I've seen people do the impossible and I know that you can do this." I stop staring at the floor and allow my eyes to come to hers. A smile passes across her lips as Jane tries to show me the same concern she demonstrated for her crew in the past.

"This is unrealistic, it's not possible."

"So is me being here at this time with you in this huge house in Canada, but here I am just the same." Jane smirked before she looked at her own hands, "You will have to get your emotions under control, otherwise the migraines and flashes will continue."

"I'm not an emotional person." I say flatly as Jane starts to laugh.

"No, _not at all_, I think you've proven that." She continues to chuckle as she shakes her head side to side, "Ready to talk to me about those dreams you've been having?"

"No." I whisper meekly, "It's the same feeling I had when I was flashing blue. I feel like I'm on fire, like I'm burning alive from the inside out every time I move."

"That's biotics for you." Jane puts her feet back on the floor and stands up, "it's part of the process. How long have you had those dreams?"

"A few months? I think? I don't know really. They've been getting more vivid the past few nights."

"And the migraines?"

"Since I was sixteen. The doctor's always told me that they didn't know what triggered them. I've been on meds and everything."

"So you're a biotic, something just made it trigger later in life."

"Will you listen to yourself? There isn't a possible way that this is happening!" I force myself onto my feet and grab for her as I feel myself sway. "Biotics are something in a damn video game, they don't exist here."

"I beg to differ based on what you're going through."

"This is the dumbest thing I've ever heard. There is no element zero here."

"That isn't true. Scientists in this time are just unaware of the element that is found in many parts of this planet. It doesn't answer how you have suddenly developed the ability, but it may answer the fact that you have been exposed to it at some point." I start to gawk at her as I mull over the words.

"Alright, explain to me how no one else has them?"

"I can't, but it's obvious that you do. Something is making your body react to them now, and at your age without an implant… that could be an interesting set up."

"I think you're nuts and that I am hallucinating." I push my bangs back from my eyes and wipe the left over tears from my face, "And since when did biotics become painful?"

"It's different for everyone. Who says that our physiology hasn't changed over time to help us adapt?" Jane gives a little wave of her hand, "If I were you, I wouldn't try demonstrating your new found abilities in front of anyone."

"Did anyone else see you knock me out?" I ask her as I attempt to hobble back towards the bed, "I mean see _us_?"

"No, I ushered you into my room. Ryan showed me to it when I first got here. I simply told everyone you weren't feeling well and put you to bed. I just took another room across the hall."

"Ryan, he's not stupid you know. He's going to know something is up."

"I'm sure that we have nothing to worry about from the looks of him." She tossed my bag on the bed, "Dylan brought this in for you and I thought you'd want to change, maybe take a shower." She smirked at me as she went for the door, "I'll meet you downstairs when you're done."

* * *

My entire life I had always taken boiling hot showers that would leave my skin pink and sensitive. I loved watching the steam lift from my body as I met the cool air outside of the tub; it was like I was so hot that the water couldn't maintain its liquid form against my skin. For the first time that I could remember, I turned on the shower leaving the handle to the far left to ensure that there was not a drop of blistering water in the stream. I stepped in and shivered as the cold liquid ran down my legs. Bracing myself, I forced the rest of my body under the faucet that was spewing forth a freezing watery death. Goose bumps covered my skin as I let the water pour down over the top of my head and face. It wasn't as bad as I had originally imagined, and compared to the fire that had swept over me earlier that day it was heaven.

Getting out of the shower I stared at my face in the mirror, seeing the same person that had been looking back at me since I could remember. I stuck my tongue out at my reflection as I opened the bag to scrounge through it for something I could change into. I looked at the jeans and t-shirts that I had already worn, starting to realize that this whole trip had taken much longer than I had initially planned for. I looked at the green dress with the white sweater that I had packed for the day we were supposed to charge into Bioware, guns blazing and Jane leading the way. I tried to recollect what I was thinking that day that I packed the ensemble, something about looking presentable being the best way of actually getting to see the man behind the mask. With nothing else to put on, I told myself than it was still better than traipsing around Ryan's house in the nude.

I took my time getting dressed and doing the normal things I had taken for granted all my life. I straightened my long blonde hair and made myself look like the girl that I had been hiding underneath the baggy t-shirts and tight fitting blue jeans. I wanted to feel like Amber, scared that I was becoming less and less sure of what that statement actually meant as I spent more time with Jane. I threw everything back into my bag and started to head down the stairs to find my friends and family.

"Amber." Dylan's voice was flat, reminding me that since the moment we had arrived at Ryan's he had been incredibly upset with me. I nearly dropped my bag as I turned to look at him, standing in the doorway about ten feet in front of me with his emotions plainly written across his face. "We need to talk." I tried to tell myself to remain calm, knowing that if my emotions got carried away, that my new found secret would make itself known and just add to the already complicated position I was in with Dylan.

"Sure thing Dyl, what better time than now?" I asked the question sarcastically as tried to subdue my nerves for the awkward talk I felt coming. He nodded his head as he slipped back into the room behind him, leaving me alone in the huge hallway for a moment.

"You're awfully dressed up." Dylan's words were cold as I walked into the bedroom.

"I was thinking I wanted to be presentable when we met Casey Hudson. I didn't think the tomboy look would get me very far."

"So being here with Ryan has nothing to do with it?" Dylan was fidgeting with a button on his shirt, still working on avoiding eye contact with me as the words slithered out of his mouth.

"Did you really just ask me that Dylan?" I let the bag drop the bag against the floor with a muffled thud and crossed my arms, "Really?"

"You're the one that's acting like they have something to hide about this whole Ryan situation. Why didn't you tell me you two were so close?"

"I didn't think it mattered." I glared at him as he refused to meet my eyes, "Are you accusing me of something here?"

"I just think it's a little strange is all. You don't tell me about him, he's visiting you in Austin, hell your birthday is his damn gate code." Dylan finishes messing with his shirt and let his eyes meet mine, "Tell me you wouldn't think something is happening between you two?"

"This is dumb, and you're stupid for bringing it up." I can feel a slight tingly sensation starting in my feet, setting me more on edge than the moment before.

"Did you just call me stupid?"

"Yes, if you really think that I'm messing around with Driver, who is like ten years older than me, then you are stupid."

"You should have told me about Ryan." Dylan looks at me sternly, "Then I wouldn't have been upset in the first place. You know that I don't handle the whole being surprised thing well."

"Yeah well, I didn't think we were going to see him and I thought this was going to all be over by now." I tell him as I try to move closer as Dylan sticks his hand out to stop me.

"Well we did, and you talk to me every single day and didn't mention any of this. I don't know… I don't like you keeping secrets from me. I feel like in order for this long distance stuff to work we have to be honest."

"I agree, total honesty is a good thing. Dyl, I really just didn't think about it and I'm sorry. After all, it is Ryan, he's like another brother I never wanted." I beam as at him, "Besides he has Amiee, I don't think I would fit into that equation to well."

"Come here." He tells me as I saunter over to him, "You are still absolutely adorable."

"You forgive me then?" I ask sweetly as I wrap my arms around his neck.

"Are you hiding anything else?" I avert my eyes as the thought of being a biotic screams at me.

"Nope, nothing that I can think of at this very moment." I feel the knot form in my stomach as the dishonesty starts to eat at me.

"You're lying." He says pointblank, "Why can't you just talk to me?" I pull away from him and stand there with my arms folded across my middle.

"You don't know what you're asking for right now and I'm not ready to _talk_ about it."

"Then we have nothing else to _talk _about at _all_." Dylan goes for the door.

"Dylan I…"

"I don't want to hear it anymore." He was gone, leaving me there with my mouth hanging open. I tried to stay calm as the tingles crawled up my legs. It was obvious that my emotions were my trigger for my biotics, and here he was pushing all the right buttons. I could feel my face flush red as the urge to cry pushed against my eyes. I wasn't sure where Dylan and I stood but I knew it wasn't good.

I picked my bag up from the floor and started down the stairs. Laughter and echoes of my friends talking bounced off of the walls and floated up the staircase as I took each stair step by step. I stared at the huge canvas paintings that Ryan had collected on his travels that adorned the walls. Eventually, I stepped off the landing, placing my bag on the floor and out of the way as I tried to determine where everyone was.

"Amber! We're in the kitchen!" Ryan's voice echoes from the other room. I listen to my short heels click against the tile as I scurry through the huge house.

"Keep talking! I have no idea where the kitchen is in this damn mansion of yours Ryan!" I call as I mosey out of what looked like a living room, with huge couches and a television the size of my car against the wall.

"Keep coming honey! Listen to the sound of my voice." Amiee called as the rest of the group started to giggle. I made my way to the kitchen door and smiled as I pushed it open.

"Holy hell, you're dressed like a girl? Who are you and where is my sister?" Adam started to tease as every head in the room turned to face me.

"It's the only thing I had left to wear. Keep your mouth shut Adam or so help me I will shut it for you." I gave a brisk leer as I let the door slip from my fingers and close behind me.

"Amber, you look lovely. There is something about the green and white makes you look absolutely divine." Amiee chuckles as she sips her tea.

"I had to wear something, walking around naked wasn't going to do anything but cause trouble."

"Not that half of us would mind…" Ryan grinned as he let his voice trail off.

"So when did you two start dating Ryan? And why the hell didn't you tell me?" I put my hands against the marble countertop, allowing myself to relish in the feeling of the cool stone against my palms.

"It just kind of happened, neither one of us had expected it." Amiee put her glass down on the kitchen island and walked over to Ryan, "And neither of us are complaining about the arrangement for the time being."

"Evidently." I put my hands back to my sides, immediately missing the stone calming the ache of my raw hands. "I thought you were involved with that other girl, Melody or something?"

"No, Melody is the girl that's dating my brother Ebe… and Amiee and I wouldn't really consider us as being together. It's more like enjoying one another's company with a few added benefits." He nudges Aimee who looks up at him with a knowing smile.

"Ew." I look at the two of them, "I don't want to know. I've had enough of people's random hook ups to last me a lifetime."

"So, what the hell brought you to Canada in the middle of the fall semester? It seems kind of unplanned to jump in the car and drive across the continent?" Ryan asked, attempting to change the subject.

"Jane's part of the family, she's Uncle Andy's distant cousin. She needed help with something so we came… Family ties and all." I shifted my weight from one foot to another, hearing the lie come out of my mouth smooth as glass.

"I want to meet Casey Hudson." My heart stopped as Jane uttered those words, thinking that she had just given away the secret I had been trying to hide.

"Jane, there isn't a guarantee that we can meet the guy." Dylan quickly chimed in, "I think we are supposed to take a tour at noon tomorrow."

"I was thinking that Amber and I should go alone. Have some girl bonding time." Jane nodded her head at me.

"What?" I guffawed, "What about Dylan and Adam?"

"Just the two of you? Why the hell did we come all the way up here then?" Adam sounded like he had been punched in the stomach, "You aren't abandoning me now."

"Because I said so, you have a problem with what I say?" Jane ran her fingers through her bright red hair, shooting daggers to anyone that was looking at her.

"_The_ Casey Hudson, from Bioware? I don't even think he's there right now." Ryan pulled out his phone and started to click a few times against the screen, "Nope, I didn't think so. He's preparing for a benefit that he's holding in Montreal tomorrow night."

"Benefit? Since when does he care about anything but himself? And how the hell do you know that?"

"We travel in the same circles. Since I've made a name for myself here I've acquired a new group of friends." Ryan hands me the phone that shows an invitation for the affair, "You guys want to go?"

"Wait? Just like that?" I look at the screen that has some elaborate electronic invite with Hudson's name emblazoned across the top of it.

"Just like that." Ryan smugly pulls the phone back to him and swipe at the screen, "He's supposed to have an amazing band, Nick Combo and The Dissenters I believe." Amiee immediately starts to squeal in glee at the name of the band.

"Are you kidding me Ryan? When were you going to tell me that we were going?"

"Sorry, it must have slipped my mind." Ryan looks at the rest of us, "Does that mean that you are all staying the evening and going with us tomorrow?"

"Indeed!" Amiee races towards me and wraps her arms around my waist, "A night out at some fancy benefit together? This is going to be the ultimate experience!" I try to pull away from her as she runs her fingers through my hair and pulls on my sweater.

"We don't have clothing for that kind of thing, and I won't impose on you Ryan." I look at what the four of us are wearing, realizing that jeans and t-shirts weren't going to cut it for something so formal. "Sorry I just didn't plan on any of this."

"Consider that all taken care of." He starts to click on his phone as a smile creeps across his face, "You're my guests, and I would love to see you all taken care of."

"I guess…" I muffle out between bites, "If you're absolutely sure."

"Positive, we will take care of those details tomorrow." He puts the phone to his ear as he walks out of the kitchen.

"Bronzey! I get to have your company for another night!" Amiee continues to squeal, "And just wait till you see the spread we are going to have for dinner. I'm going to…" She continues to rattle things off as I attempt to make eye contact with Dylan, trying to see if I can detect what he's thinking from across the kitchen island.

"Amiee, we appreciate everything but really I would settle for something simple. We aren't trying to put y'all out or anything." I smile quaintly at her as I start to walk after Ryan, "I'll be back in a minute."

"No… I'll get the names… Right…" Ryan throws his head back and laughs, "Sure thing, I'll see you tomorrow night. Thanks again Rebecca."

"Ryan, when did you become some damn high society person?" He looks at me as he slides his phone back into his pocket. "I mean fancy parties? All sorts of girls and social circles and blah blah blah."

"It happens Bronzey. I started pulling strings with this company and before I knew it my name was a well-known thing here." He rubs the back of his neck, "Never though in a million years I'd be living like this."

"I'm happy for you." I pat him on the shoulder, "Are you sure about this whole benefit concert thing? It sounds like it's not really my type of place. Not to mention taking Adam and Jane into a place that requires them to act like normal people…"

"Amber, you will all blend in perfectly. Speaking of which, I need Jane's last name in order to get her on the list, security checks and what not."

"Jane's last name? Sure it's… Tripp." I smile at him as he pulls his phone back out.

"Right, you did say that she was related to that crazy Uncle of yours up in Seattle."

"He's not crazy. I mean sure, we used to fly kites in the rain with electrical wires and stuff on them, but that doesn't make him crazy."

"So that's really what you want to go with? Jane Tripp?" He paused for a moment, looking up at me over the edge of his phone, "I would have pegged her as more of a Shepard."

"Why would you say that?" My heart started to race at the sound of her true last name, forcing me to feel that same eerie feeling rising in my throat from earlier that morning.

"Look, I'm not an engineer like you Amber, but I'm not a moron either. You might be able to fool the rest of those guys, but I know enough to put two and two together."

"Ryan… Just don't say anything. I mean it; I've come too far to…" I stop and look at the goofy smile on his face. "What are you giving me that look for?"

"You really think I'm going to say something?" Ryan jokes as he takes a step towards me, "I'm just happy to see that you trust me enough to pick her up in the middle of the night. No worries, your secret is safe with me."

"Thank you, I appreciate that." I stop holding my breath as I feel myself start to slowly calm back down.

"So Dylan and Adam know?"

"They know." I shrug my shoulders, "It's why they decided to come all the way up here with me on whim."

"You never have a dull moment do you? And taking her to see Casey Hudson? Let me just say that I want a front row seat when then two of them…"

"When the two of us what?" Jane frowns at me as she storms into the room with Ryan and me, cutting him off mid-sentence.

"I thought you said he wouldn't figure this out Jane?" I point my finger at her with a smile on my face, "it's nice to see that you are human after all."

"I didn't give him enough credit." She glares at him, "Smarter than he looks I guess."

"Be nice Jane, I don't want to risk getting pissed off." I run my hands down the front of my dress, "I can't handle it."

"What's wrong Amber?" The concern in Ryan's voice was evident as he considered what she had just said. "What aren't you telling me?"

"Ah, so he's just as clueless as the rest of them?" She smirks as she pulls me over beside her, "Don't worry about it flyboy, she's fine as long as she's with me."

"It's okay Ryan, just have a few attachment issues with Jane here." I put my hand on her shoulder, "It's a girl thing."

"A girl thing?" He starts to tease, "Did you tell Dylan yet?"

"Not like that you pervert! It's just a secret between us! Don't go jumping to conclusions." I stomp my foot, listening to the heel click against the tile.

"Hey, I get the whole complicated relationship thing and I'm not one to judge. I'll get her on the list as Jane Tripp."

"Tripp?" Jane asks quizzically.

"I needed to give you a last name and I threw out the first thing I could think of."

"Right, that should work then, it has a believable sound to it." She brushes my hand off her shoulder, "Ryan, I need to spend some time here with Amber, you have a place where we can be alone?"

"I have to spend time with Dylan. He's really upset with me about this whole escapade here in Canada." She frowned at the idea of us being separated. "And you and Adam have things to work on too."

"I don't have anything to discuss with that pyjack." Jane rubs her hands against her jeans, "It's pointless."

"Wait, Jane and Adam?" Ryan's sneer quickly turns into one of amusement.

"It's not funny Driver! He's going to get himself killed." I smack his arm, "One does not sleep with the likes of her and live to tell stories about it."

"Would that be such a loss in all reality?" Jane thinks the idea over briefly.

"Jane, that's not funny." I shake my head as I watch her try to suppress her enjoyment, "I need to make a phone call if you don't mind Ryan."

"Sure, if you go just down this hall there is a small office, you can use whatever you need in there." Ryan shakes his head as he goes to join the others in the kitchen.

"Someone you need to speak with?" Jane asks with curiosity.

"Uncle Andrew, I want to see what he knows about my 'condition' that I've suddenly acquired." I make air quotations and stick out my tongue, "He's some naval scientist who lives in Seattle Washington. I used to spend every summer with him." I start to walk down the hallway.

"You think he might know something?"

"I have no idea honestly, but it's worth asking."


	12. Chapter 12

My heels clicked against the white marble tile as I walked towards the small office that was supposed to have a phone that I could use. Jane followed close behind me with a frown on her face, letting me know that the idea of calling my Uncle Andrew still wasn't sitting well with her. I saw the large oak door with a brass handle on the left hand side of the hall and wrapped my fingers around it.

"I don't like this Amber, it feels wrong." Jane was almost growling as I flung the door open with a force. I cringed as the giant piece of wood smacked into the wall, causing a loud echo as it connected.

"Oops." I tried not to smile, "I didn't mean to do that." I slid my hand against the wall, fumbling for a light switch as Jane brushed past me into the office. "Do you mind elaborating on what feels so off?"

"I don't trust this whole benefit idea, it seems like it's too convenient." She grabbed a chair and sat down as I flipped on the lights.

"You're over reacting." I say flatly as I take in what Ryan considered a small office, the room was easily the size of a master suite for most people. It was decorated in the same red and black motif as the bedroom that I had woken up in earlier that day, with large black desks along the walls full of office equipment.

"I can see the corruption in him Amber, I'm not from here but it doesn't mean that it looks any different." I glance at Jane who has started to position herself in front of a computer, turning the back of the black office chair towards me.

"He's like a brother to me; he would never do anything evil. In fact, I don't even think he knows how to lie." I took a few steps further into the office, looking at the desks for a phone.

"Listen to me when I tell you that something is off about this whole situation." Jane clicks the mouse a few times as she speaks, "And do you mind enlightening me on what you think calling your uncle is going to do for us?"

"I'm calling to ask if anything weird might have happened to me when I was a kid. You said it yourself; I had to be exposed to element zero at some point in time in order to have this… this issue." I hold both hands out with my palms up. "Uncle Andrew has watched over me my entire life, he would remember if I was really sick for any length of time." I spotted a phone on the corner of one of the large desks and headed over towards it. I took a seat in a red chair that matched the others in the office as I crossed my legs and smoothed down my green dress. I lift the receiver of the office phone and start to dial.

"I suppose that's understandable." She starts to click against the keys, "How much time did you spend with him?"

"I was with him six months of the year, usually the entire summer and part of the fall." I smile at the thought of him, "He was like another father, one that I didn't have to split with Adam."

"I would just be careful about what you tell him Amber. Regardless of how close you think you are to the person, there is always a chance that they will use certain pieces of knowledge to their own self benefit." She starts to bang against the keyboard again, "This isn't something that you would want most people to know about and you'll end up lab for rest of your life if the wrong person finds out."

"I don't think that my own family would want me to end up as some science project somewhere. Besides, I'm not going to tell him anything is wrong, I just want to see if he knows anything that might be important." I listen to the phone start to ring for the fourth time, ready to sigh in relief that he wasn't going to answer the foreign number that was popping up on his caller ID.

"Hello hello?" A smooth voice echoed in my ear, causing me to immediately picture my uncle sitting on the couch in his navy blue sweats and white t-shirt.

"Uncle Andrew? It's Amber." I could feel the warmth radiating from my voice, "You in the middle of something?"

"Always in the middle of something, you know that. You're calling from a number I don't recognize, prompting me to ask you just where in the hell you are this time." He pauses for a moment, "Tell me you aren't in jail again."

"That was one time and it wasn't even my fault! And no, I'm in Canada visiting a friend of mine." I could hear him start to mumble into the phone, "And don't freak out, I'm here with Adam."

"At least you aren't in jail. I recall this one time when you were arrested for beating someone with your purse after you thought they were trying to steal your shoes. Do you remember that?" I can hear the smile in his voice as he replays the phone call from jail in his memories.

"It was my birthday, Adam got me wasted… Not my fault." I could feel a smile start to form at the corners of my mouth, he was making an attempt to provoke me in the same fashion that he always had.

"Sure it wasn't… So who did you did you take off across the country to go bang this time?"

"You make it sound like this is a common occurrence and like I'm screwing half the country!" I play with the hem of my dress, trying to pull it down to cover more of my legs. "You know that I'm not like that! I'm a one man kind of woman, just ask Dylan."

"You can't say that you haven't taken off on a whim to go across the country on some road trip. I think I've received random drunk phone calls from at least thirty of the fifty states." He laughs at me for a minute before continuing, "So tell me Amber, whose house are you calling from up in Canada?"

"I'm at Ryan's place on the other side of Montreal, but Adam is here along with Dylan and Amiee."

"You never knew how to travel light did you? Surprised that it's just the four of you, I thought for sure you would have tried to pack at least seven people in that car of yours."

"Amiee was already here, I decided not to drag all of Alpha Beta Ki with me this time." I start to giggle. "I figured the boyfriend and Adam would be enough trouble for me on this go round."

"Well I doubt that you called me just to tell me you were having some international orgy up in Canada. What's up kid?" I could hear my nephew start to squeal in the background, causing my uncle to start to baby speak while he was on the phone.

"I had a few questions about me."

"We all have a few questions about you." He started to laugh in the phone, "You might have to be a little more specific there Blondie."

"Was I ever really sick or anything? Maybe stuck in a hospital because I jumped in a well or decided to eat something off one of your lab benches that I shouldn't have?"

"Sick?" I can hear growing laughter coming from the other end of the phone, "We thought you were sick in the head for some of the shit you did to the kids around here. Do you remember Lucas, the little blonde kid that you called an Eskimo? You tied him up against a tree and put spiders on his head and giggled while you watched him scream like a girl. He told his mom that you made him eat crickets and other bugs to make him taste better for the spiders."

"He picked on me! He called me a redneck and said I had an accent. As far as I am concerned, the punk got what was coming to him." I said with affirmation in my voice.

"Alright, let me think…You did get put in the hospital when we had the incident with the robot you were trying to build. It short circuited and shocked the hell out of you. I watched you get flung a good five feet back when you crossed those wires." He starts to laugh again, causing me to giggle at the thought of the dilapidated robot that we had built.

"I think I remember that, named the thing Copper because he was this orange shiny mess. Honestly, I was looking for something a little more like a random illness that would have caused me to be bed ridden."

"Well, other than the migraines that you've had for years, there's really nothing that stands out then."

"Are you sure? I mean I just want to know if…" I let my voice trail off as Jane turned to face me from her black leather chair. "I wanted to know if I had anything major that might have put me in a hospital or something… Maybe I had forgotten it happened or…"

"Is everything okay kid? I can tell you're looking for me to say something, but I'll be damned if I know what it is."

"No, I'm fine… Really Unc... I just wanted to check with you and see if I had missed something. Adam has been making up stories that I was sent up there for you to experiment on me during the summers and make me into a real human being. I guess he just got to me this time."

"Tell your brother that _he's _the one that we experimented on. Hint at his right testicle being gargantuan compared to the left one and it will shut him up for a few days."

"Ew, that's just gross. I think I rather pretend that I didn't even bother calling you."

"Do it, it will shut him up… Trust me Blondie."

"Alright, fine. I'll find some way to bring it up in conversation eventually that doesn't make me want to hurl. So much for getting rid of my nightmares." I smile as I hear my aunt yell at him that lunch is ready. "Well that was the reason that I called, I guess I should let you get back to things. Say hi to my aunt for me, and I love you."

"We love you too Amber, don't let them talk you into becoming a Canadian citizen or anything else that would appeal to your crazy side while you're up there. Make sure you call me when you get back home so that I know I don't have to come up to that frozen hell hole and find you."

"Sure thing, I'll make sure and call you as soon as we're home. Bye Unc." I hung up the phone and looked at Jane, "Well that was an absolute waste of time."

"I gathered that. Since you were busy killing time with your uncle, I decided to take a look at your friend Ryan on this console here." Jane motioned to the computer screen, "It has been fairly interesting to say the least." I scoot the chair across the floor over till I'm sitting beside her.

"What's this?" I look at the web page that has a photo of Ryan shaking another man's hand. "Corporate takeover makes man millions… An official statement has been made in regards to Cerna Company buying out the prominent Strattagene Enterprises, the leading company of genetic examination. This will enable new research and development in the biomedical sector for the growing conglomerate..." I stop reading and look at Jane, "This seems like common knowledge, not some diabolical plot. What's so interesting about it?"

"I thought Ryan was a pilot."

"He was until he was picked up by that company for his ingenuity." I start to stand, "Still not seeing a big deal in this Jane, I've known about this for a while, and it all seems legit to me."

"I pilot investing in biomedical research doesn't scream that there is something off to you? Are you really that dense?"

"He's been interested in that stuff since I figured out I was majoring in it. I always tell him that we are skirting around the edge of breaking medical technology, so it really doesn't surprise me." I grab the mouse and scroll though the page, "Besides, the whole company would have to agree to allow this to happen, it's not just on Ryan."

"I've felt like there was something off about him the moment he picked me up in that car of his in town. So suave and smooth, it just makes me think that there is something he's keeping from you." She takes the mouse from me and closes the browser before she pushes her chair back.

"Jane, I've known that man since I was sixteen years old. He's my family and there's nothing else to it." I sigh as I sit back in my chair, "He used to be a pilot way up north, he was trying to get out of that lifestyle and struck gold when he was picked up for his managerial skills. There's nothing more to it."

"More to what?" Ryan walks into the office and quickly closes the door behind him, "You were saying something about me Amber?" A coy smile comes across his face as Jane scowls, "My life is an open book. If there is something that you want to know, all you have to do is ask me." I can feel the pins and needles in my feet as the tension in the room starts to grow.

"I don't think you are some average pilot that suddenly got lucky." Jane gets to her feet and looks him up and down, "I think that you are hiding something. That you had to sell yourself to get where you are in the company like some cheap industry consort." I start to laugh nervously, making both of them look at me as the sensation of fire creeps into my toes.

"Ha ha ha! It's a joke, right Jane? We're trying to push you're buttons Ryan, see if you are secretly some evil genius that's trying to take over the world." I beam at him and push my hair back behind my ears, "Did it work?"

"Evil genius? I'm just some ordinary guy that had a string of luck." He runs his fingers along the edge of the desk, "Amber's the smart one here. Let's just say that she's inspired me in a few areas of my life, she's been doing that since the two of us met all those years ago."

"See Jane? He's just some normal guy in a business suit. You're making a mountain out of a mole hill."

"If anyone is a genius it would be her." Ryan stops tracing the corner of the desk and brings his eyes level with Jane's, "Amber's the reason why I decided to invest more on the R&D side of things with Cerna."

"Cerna, the company you're prostituting for?" Jane asks sarcastically as she furls her upper lip, "You just _happened_ to decide that_ this_ was a way to take an aviation company?"

"It just was something that the board took an interest in thanks to me gushing about the new technology that was being discovered. Amber was always talking about the scientific breakthroughs that she was studying and it made me go that route. When we started to look at branching off the company off into new areas, diversifying and creating more of a buzz for expanding company, we realized that this move would benefit us." Ryan looked at me, "We just took a chance and it's paying off in unexpected ways."

"That sounds like a load of bullshit to me." Jane made it to her feet, "I'm not convinced, if Amber trusts you that enough to keep me from killing you… for now."

"Let me assure you that I'm not doing anything to endanger anyone. You have this all backwards Shepard." Ryan's demeanor shifts to match Jane as she lets her temper start to flare.

"I think you're up to something Ryan, and if I find out that you are trying to jeopardize her or anyone else in this house, I'll make sure that you are dealt with personally." Jane cracks her knuckles on one hand after the other as she stands toe to toe with him.

"He's not doing anything to anyone Jane, and he's done nothing but show us kindness since we've got here. I haven't seen an evil bone in his body since I've known him." I try to alleviate the awkward turn that things have taken as I start to feel myself fidget. The sensation of ants biting me is only growing as they continue to talk and make idle threats.

"He's just biding his time and waiting for the right moment. I've seen people like him with ambition; they lead me on some suicide mission across the galaxy and backstab me in the end." Jane rolls her eyes, her biotics lighting up ever so slightly as she throws the door to the office open. It creaks as it tries to hang on the hinges for dear life, causing me to get goose bumps along my arms despite my internal agony from the fire that was slowly seeping into my muscles. "He'll betray you and cost you the life of someone your close to, just wait." She looks over her shoulder one last time before disappearing out of sight down the hall.

"Jane is jumping to the conclusion that I'm evil?" Ryan offers his hand to me as I start to get out of my seat, ignoring the ache that is quickly starting to dissipate as the tension in the room ebbs.

"I don't know what the hell she's thinking; you'd never do anything criminal." I start for the door, releasing his hand as I stand in the entryway to the office.

"I'd never do anything to intentionally hurt you; you're like a sister to me." Ryan grabs my arm, making my eyes meet his as we stand just before the dimly lit hall.

"I know that, but you have to look at things from an outsider's perspective. Jane's trying to make sure that she doesn't end up in a lab dissected somewhere and here you are, investing in biomedical research."

"I've been in biomedical research for months; her showing up on my doorstep was just happenstance."

"It's enough to make her on edge, so don't push." I shift my weight from foot to foot, trying to get the remaining pins and needles to stop.

"You sure seem antsy, everything okay?" Ryan asks as he lets go of my arm and starts to escort me down the hall, "I've never seen you fidget so much."

"Just feeling a little off, no more than usual." I try to smile, "It must be all the time sitting in the car and the stress of getting us this far. I just need a gym and a good work out."

"That sounds like the Amber that I know." Ryan looks at his watch for a moment, "I have someone coming to take measurements for everyone in an hour or so. I can't have you looking like a bunch of rag tag Americans going to a real Canadian gala."

"That's nuts Driver, we can just go to a store or something in town and find something simple, having someone come all the way out here isn't necessary."

"Nonsense, you'll be pampered as long as you stay in this house. As for dinner tonight, I was thinking of having Amiee order out, followed by just lounging around together and catching up."

"Perfect, I could use some downtime." I grin as we walk back to the kitchen.

* * *

I watched the young woman scribble onto her pink and black notepad for the umpteenth time as we sat in the empty room. Her long blonde hair hung off both sides of her shoulders as she kneeled at my feet, her tongue poking out of the left side of her perfect looking mouth. I took a deep breath, I was the last one that needed their measurements taken and was hating every moment of it. The woman hired to get our sizes looked up at me with her deep blue eyes and smiles.

"You have a great figure, there are so many possibilities for your shape." She's back on her feet with her measuring tape in hand, "Is there anything special that you want in the dress, anything that I can take into consideration for you?"

"Not really, I'd be happy in jeans and a t-shirt like normal. I'm not really a girlie girl, I mean I just don't do the dress up thing." I try to smile back at her as she moves the measuring tape from one spot to the next, outlining my figure and mumbling numbers as she went, "Just about done?"

"Almost, but the more that you wiggle the longer this will take. So how do you know Ryan, if I may ask?"

"Ryan? Oh, he's a friend of mine from years back." She motions for me to raise my arms as she takes another measurement. "He's like a member of the family in a way."

"So you're just friends?"

"Yes, we're just friends." I glare at her as I start to furrow my brow. "You're a nosey little thing aren't you?"

"I truly don't mean to be, but he's very well known here and we'd hate to see him…" Her face flushes red as she drops the tape, letting her eyes settle on mine as feel my disgust immediately boil to the surface.

"What, with an American? No worries on that hon, I'm not his type. Do you have the measurements you need, because I'm done here?" I step away from the woman and start for the door where my shoes are waiting, feeling a migraine starting to form behind my eyes.

"I'm sorry ma'am it's just that…"

"Don't explain, I don't want to hear it. Just do what you have to do with what I've already given you." I slip the shoes on my feet and grasp the handle in my fingers, "And you really need to watch that mouth of yours." I feel the tension ease from me as I open the door and take a step out into the hall, letting the anger stay in the room with the woman rather than trying to carry it with me. I notice that Dylan is standing a few steps down from me with his back against the wall and a smirk on his face.

"Everything okay?" He tried to smile at me as I attempted to finish reigning in my anger. Dylan and I had been working on speaking for the past few hours and were still stuck in the trivial conversation phase.

"That damn moron of a girl was making assumptions and made my effing head hurt. All I can think about is smacking her and telling her she's a moron." I start towards the living room where the rest of the group is waiting, grabbing Dylan's hand and intertwining my fingers with his.

"You seem a little tense." He gently pulls my hand, making me slow down and look at him. The look on his face was evident; he was trying to apologize without actually saying the words. I quickly kissed his cheek and smiled.

"Dyl, it's okay. Just know that I'll tell you what I can, when I can. Just trust me a little okay?" He nods his head once in understanding as I let go of his hand. "Now, where the heck did everyone get off too?"

"Amber!" Amiee squeals as I walk to the living room with the TV the size of a car, "I can't wait to see you all dressed up and in rare form! Oh it will be so great to see you looking like the sexy little Texan."

"Amiee, it's really not that impressive." I glance at everyone and look to Ryan, "So, what's for dinner? I said simple, no three course meal or anything."

"I decided to go ahead and have Amiee order out. I think she decided on pizza." Ryan sits on the plush gold and black loveseat that's situated on the far side of the living room. His legs are crossed at the ankles, allowing the heels of his feet rest on the cherry coffee table.

"You said simple, I had to think what you Americans would order if you were sitting around the tele drinking."

"Works for me." I looked at Adam who was sitting in front of the huge television with his mouth half open, "Adam, you feeling okay?"

"Shhhhhh!" He motioned towards the screen, "Some of us are actually trying to pay attention to the news."

"Wait what? Since when do you watch the news?" I walked behind sofa where Adam was sitting, resting my hands against the back of it.

"I was trying to check a few of the scores on the football games I missed while we were in the car. I had a hundred bucks riding on Vanderbilt losing."

"What the hell Adam? You're betting against my school?" Dylan looked at him, "We aren't that bad."

"Compared to the team you were playing? Did you think I would miss the chance to smear that in your face?"

"Adam, can't you be nice to him damn it." I scowl as I pinch the top of his shoulder, "Boyfriend status means that you have to be pleasant."

"Like hell I do." Adam smirks for a brief moment until Jane clears her throat. He looks at me with a protective older brother glow around him before he looks to her, "Alright, I'll be good."

"Better be." Jane sits on the arm of the sofa next to him, a smug look on her face as Adam slides his hand into her lap and rests it on her upper thigh.

"Damn amazon woman got me all discombobulated and shit. It ain't right for me to take so much crap from a wo…" Jane punched him in the arm, causing Adam to immediately stop his sentence.

"It's the creepiest thing ever when you smile like that Jane." I sigh as I fiddle with the top of the couch cushion, "I mean never in a million years would I ever though you two would actually like each other."

"I don't like him, but keeping him from pissing you off is a full time job." She lifts Adam's hand off her thigh and drops it back in his lap. "It's easier to punch him from here than it is from across the room."

"I just like that you keep putting your hands on me." Adam lightly chuckled for a second before pointing at the television. A picture of the Canadian border flashed across the screen, making him lose his smile as he directed our attention to the screen. "That looks a little familiar doesn't it?" Ryan grabbed the remote from the coffee table and increased the volume over the surround sound.

"The van plowed through the security check point at approximately 3 P.M. this afternoon, crashing through the barricade that most people would stop at. Four of the Canadian border personnel have been transported to local hospitals due to severe injuries, one in critical care. Government officials are declining to release more information about the incident at this time."

"This is great." I put my hands on the back of the couch, trying to understand why the feeling of certain doom started to creep into my stomach.

"If you have any information on these individuals that were involved in this event, local authorities are asking you to call the number located at the bottom of your screen." I pause for a moment, trying to tell myself that it was just an arbitrary coincidence that this had happened at the same check point we had crossed at the night before. Jane smiles at Adam's latest attempt to get his hand in her lap, causing Dylan to start to laugh as I start to slowly back away from the couch. The news caster mentions that the weather reports are coming up next as Amiee takes a seat next to Ryan on the loveseat.

"Just show the damn sports scores!" Adam yelled at the TV as Jane nudged him with her elbow.

"I don't know how you aren't into hockey Adam." Ryan chuckled as the screen went to commercial, "I mean I took Amber to a few of the Texas Stars games when she was younger, she got a kick out of them."

"Something about a bunch of men on skates just doesn't do it for me."

"I get to go to a few of the games," Dylan said with a smile, "I think it's an awesome experience."

I slip my shoes off to avoid making the clicking noise against the tiles as I walk alone, back towards Ryan's 'small' office. I keep running my fingers through my hair, my concerns becoming more evident the longer it takes me to get down the hallway. All the years that I had spent playing on the internet told me that that if I wanted to see something about an event that had happened, my best bet was scouring the for a video that was captured by someone on a cell phone. I opened the door and made it to a computer desk

I started a browser, searching for video about the Canadian border incident as soon as it launched. I clicked on the first one that I saw, watching the screen fill up with a grainy picture as I pressed play. It was a few kids that were messing around in the car as they approached the checkpoint. I watched as they held the phone up, filming the person in the side seat who had a goofy smile painted across his face. Suddenly, a white unmarked van flew past the driver's window and slammed into a barricade. Officers started to shout as people in the area screamed. The van door flew open and the camera faded to black for a moment, making me slam my hands against the desk in angst. Soon the picture came back in focus, showing a shotgun being carried by a man in a uniform that I didn't recognize.

"What the hell?" I watched in horror as the man pointed the gun at them and instructed them to get out of the car. With that, the phone was dropped onto the floor and the video quickly ended.

I quickly searched for another video, telling myself to keep breathing as I looked for a vid that was sure to show more than just the white van. I clicked on one further down the list and watched as a woman in uniform was grabbed from behind, the aggressor wrapping his thick tree trunk of an arm around her neck. I realized that the face of the woman was vaguely familiar; she was the one that held our ID's when we crossed hours earlier. I could feel my stomach drop as she was brought over to another one of the perpetrators who screamed about the piece of paper he was holding. I stopped the stream and tried to see what picture was that she was being forced to look at. I adjusted the size of the image, zooming as much as I possibly could without completely allowing the piece of paper to become distorted.

"Oh my goodness…" I gasped as I was able to finally make out the image that the woman was being forced to look at. I recognized the familiar face on the eight by ten piece of paper, making my legs shake as my nerves quickly got the better of me.

"Amber?" I closed the window as soon as the door creaked open, "You okay? You just took off on us and came back here without a word." I was struggling to stay calm with the feeling of a million ants biting my skin making me want to scream out.

"I'm…. I'm fine…" I try to breathe, but the sensation of drowning in a pool of fire fills my thoughts, "Amiee, can you go get Jane for me. Tell her I need her to come in here and take a look at something with me"

"Is everything okay?" She tilts her head and let's concern cross her face.

"No, everything just got more complicated."


	13. Chapter 13

"Amber!" I can hear Jane screaming as I stare up at night sky, white twinkles dotting the never ending sea of black before me. "Damn it, answer me!" The sounds of gun shots follow her voice in a methodical pattern that make me think of a bass line for some song I couldn't place. My right hand is sitting on the left side of my chest, making the throbbing sensation echo throughout every inch of my body as I lay there feeling lucidity slowly slip from my fingers. I can taste my own blood, it coats my tongue as I listen to Jane continue to scream for me from mere yards away from where I was going to die. As I close my eyes I remember the song I was thinking of as I let out my final breath, whispering the title as the feeling of nothing swallows me.

#

"Stupid biotics that came from stupid nowhere… Why can't you just go away and leave me alone already." I lean back in the chair, my wrist of my right hand covering my closed eyes in a dramatic fashion that mimics a woman in despair from the 1920's. Amiee had just left me to go get Jane, allowing me bask in the glory of the untapped biotics that were making me feel as though I had the worst sun burn of my life. My hand dropped down to my side as I forced myself to open my eyes and gawk at the computer screen again. I huffed, clicking the mouse until the last video I watched was now paused and waiting for Jane. Something had told me to check on the border incident, to look for something that was neglected in the news reports that were on the television, and sadly enough my intuition had been right.

"You okay?" Jane leaned in the doorframe, peering at me with the deep green eyes as she let a coy little smirk come across her face. "You look like you just heard that you had less than twenty-four hours to live?"

"Just feel like someone poured kerosene on my happy ass and lit me on fire… but other than that just the usual stuff that happens in a day." I try to smile back her, combing my fingers through my blonde hair as she saunters into the office with me.

"Still on an emotional roller coaster when it comes to dealing with all that hunh?" She grabs a red office chair, flopping herself down into it as she gazes at me. "You'll get that under control, just give it time."

"I know it's just like everything else I have to deal with in life when to comes to adjusting… It takes more time than I'm willing to dedicate to it and once I'm used to whatever it is, it's usually no longer a thing for concern."

"Well, I suppose you didn't send Amiee in to get me so that you and I can sit around and talk biotics. Whatcha need kid?" I roll my eyes as I stand to close the door, ensuring that wondering busy bodies like Adam or Amiee don't show up in the middle of something that they don't need to hear. I was determined to keep the biotics a mystery by all means necessary; thinking that keeping that little fact off anyone's radar was a good idea while we were being chased.

"I'm not a kid you know. I'm damn near twenty four." I take my seat, spinning back to the computer screen, "Alright you _amazon_?" I start to laugh as she throws me a look, telling me that my insult wasn't found to be funny.

"Just get to the point Amber."

"Alright, don't get your panties in a bunch, _yeesh_." I motion for her to bring her chair closer to me so that she can see the video as it starts to play.

"This is the border where you crossed yesterday?" Coldness takes her voice as she watches the monitor.

"Yeah, and she's the one that let me cross." I point to the screen as woman in uniform is grabbed from behind, clicking the video to freeze the screen as the photo was forced in the officer's face.

"Anyway to tell who's on that?" She taps the screen as I nod my head.

"I actually already pulled it up in another system. I minimized the window when Amiee came in earlier so that she couldn't figure out what I was really up to." I reopen the document, "I've seen better pictures of you Jane."

"Much better. You think they would have at least taken one of my good side rather than this crap." She looks at me with a curt smile, "I guess they were desperate."

"I guess so… I just can't figure out who would be looking for you there at the border."

"Let's ask your friend Ryan, I'm sure that he might know something." She leans back in her chair, "In fact I bet a hundred credits on it."

"Ryan didn't have anything to do with this Jane. He didn't even know who you were till he saw you face to face and sending a bunch of men with guns to a border where he _knew_ you wouldn't be doesn't make any damn sense either." I look from the monitor back to her, letting her green eyes scream at me for denying what she so sure of.

"You're so protective of him. I just don't understand why you don't think he's not up to something. All the signs are there, lined up right in front of your face."

"He's not up to _anything_. Look, let's think about this for a minute. If he wanted you caught why wouldn't he have told whoever that you're setting pretty here in_ his_ mansion? Wouldn't that make more sense than having a bunch of people crash a border you were never at?"

"Not if he's trying to keep you from figuring out that he had anything to do with it. The man is devious and I wouldn't put it past him to make an attempt at something like that."

"You're as bad as Dylan." I fold my arms across the middle of my stomach, "You both seem to think that Ryan is some wolf in sheep's clothing that's out to get us all. He's not evil, you and Dylan can both drop it."

"I know you care about Ryan, but I'm not going to let my guard down around him. At least your boyfriend seems to have a brain in his head. I'm telling you that a company that specializes in the design of airplanes should not be meddling in the biomedical sector."

"And I'm telling you that he isn't up to anything and that you and Dylan can both take a flying leap for all I care!" I start to raise my voice, the implications of Jane's statements making me feel on edge more than normal.

"You're being blind Amber. Look what happened with the Illusive Man. I knew that the bastard was up to something, and even with all lines he fed me I still saw past the bullshit. I knew that he was only interested in how things would benefit him in the long run."

"But you still worked for him knowing that. Worked for him and that little company, what was it called?" I snap my fingers in the air as if I suddenly remembered, "Cerberus. It was Cerberus, right Jane? I think I remember you prancing around the galaxy in that yellow and black uniform with that logo on your ship. You think that you can tell someone is doing something diabolical because of the colors of their uniform? You worked for the bad guys…"

"I did what I had to in order to save lives." Jane says tersely, "That's what mattered in the end."

"You _did_ what _you_ wanted to in order to save who'd benefit _you_ in the long run! Tell me Shep, did you kill Mordin because the stupid Dalatross offered you help with the Crucible? Did you pull the trigger on your friend because it would help you get what you wanted?"

"Mordin died in the tower, Wrex and his people deserved the cure." She sat, stern faced as she recalled her past decisions.

"So you chose your friend Wrex over the military assets that would have proved more useful during a war? See Shepard, you care more about your own friends than the cause at hand, don't tell me who to trust when it comes to my life." I stand up, moving to the door.

"Amber, you can say what you want about the decisions I've made, but I'm telling you that he's going to get you killed."

"Ryan wouldn't do that, he'd give his life for me just like Adam, or Dylan, or Amiee…" I put my hand on the handle, "Who would do that for you here, Jane? Who would offer to die for you?" I storm out the door, leaving Jane sitting in her chair alone. Everything with that woman was becoming increasingly complicated, making me seethe as I told myself that Ryan was nothing more than the same man he had always been.

The lights flickered on, making me realize that in my anger I had managed to escape into the kitchen where I stood alone in total darkness. I wasn't sure how long I had been standing there, but I had to blink a few times I looked at Ryan to make him come into focus.

"Hey Bronzey, you okay?" There stood my friend, his grey slacks and bare feet standing there in front of me making me remember all the times he would come to Austin to visit.

"I'm fine Ryan. Sometimes talking to Jane just makes my effing blood boil." I run my hand on the counter-top, feeling the coolness from the marble contradict the heat still coming from my "sunburn".

"You look _fine_, I don't think I've seen you this upset in a good while. I think last time was when Adam put those pictures of you up on some floozy of the week's site."

"He's a jackass too." I mutter, remembering that Adam had a thing for confiscating my half naked pictures I would take for Dylan and distributing them to various websites. "It took me months to find all of them."

"But you found them, it took time but you did it. It says something about you and the perseverance that you embody, most people would have chalked it up to a lost cause but not you…" He pulls his phone from his pocket, "This job just doesn't quit. It's always something with these people, it swear it makes me miss the days of being a simple minded pilot."

"But you've come so far Ryan, it's amazing when you think about where you were years ago and where you are now. I'm proud of you."

"Proud of me?" He laughs at this, running his fingers through his light brown hair, "You're the one graduating with a degree at the end of this semester and you're proud of me?"

I meet his eyes as I feel the corners of my mouth pull into a smile, "You're something else, you know it? I was trying to give you a damn compliment and you turn it into making me feel like a bumbling idiot. "

"I always knew you were destined for something great, but finding Shepard isn't what I would have ever imagined… and now you're running halfway across the US and into Canada just to get her to Casey Hudson."

"I'm trying to do the right thing and she's just making me feel like I'm slamming my head against the wall. Not to mention that she doesn't trust you, and no matter what I seem to tell her she doesn't want to budge on the fact she thinks that you're up to something."

"Can you blame her for thinking that? Amber, she's not from here doesn't get the way that things work. She's bound to be suspicious of the guy who has things in common with TIM. Hell, if I didn't know me I would think that I had some trick up my sleeve and now I'm just waiting to make my move."

"I guess…"

"Just let it go, it's not worth fighting with her about it that's for sure." Ryan smirked, "Besides, you two have a lot in common when you think about it."

"I'm not like her, don't even say that. Jane does that whole, what did Garrus call it in the game…Ruthless calculus?"

"Sometimes it's what we all need, someone to make the hard decisions so that others don't have to. I wouldn't have agreed with that either until… Let's just say when you have a hand in running a successful company it teaches you a few things in that respect."

"You've made hard decisions that impact countless lives?" I almost scoff at the thought, trying to place what business practices that would apply for a company like his. Ryan had always seemed like the type to shy away from things that would hurt another living soul and I couldn't picture him hurting anyone.

He notices me trying to place my thoughts, "Don't think about it. Just know I wouldn't let anything happen to you. You're like a kid sister to me."

"I know that, I guess that's why I don't see you as some evil doer." I tell him.

"Pizza's here!" Amiee screams from the other room, her voice carrying throughout the huge house without being softened.

"Come on, let's grab dinner." Ryan nods his head at the door, a wide smile on his face that made me feel like he was the person I had always known him to be. I head out the kitchen door with him close behind, heading back into the living room with Amiee, Adam and Dylan. It was going to be an evening with the people I loved and adored followed by the worst night of my life.

#

"I hate purple, you know I hate purple, and still you picked the purple dress for me." I look in the mirror with Amiee standing behind me, gawking over my shoulder as I whined. "_Why_ am I wearing this color?"

"You're wearing it because black wouldn't do a thing to flatter your skin tone." Amiee says as she zips the back of my dress. "Besides, you don't want to look like every other person that's there do you?"

"I wouldn't mind blending in. This makes me look like I'm out to get attention and I don't need attention from anyone right now." Amiee was still in the dark about most things that had been happening since I had arrived in Canada, and I was planning on keeping her out of the loop as long as possible. There were people after Jane and adding more names to the list that knew who she really was didn't seem like a brilliant idea on my part.

"Oh Amber really?" Amiee scoffs at me, swatting me on my ass as she finishes hiding the zipper on the form fitting lilac monstrosity. "Can't you just accept the fact that you are a wonderful sight when you wear something like this?"

"No." I roll my eyes as I take another look in the mirror, shaking my head as I barely recognize the person that's standing in front of me. My make up was professionally applied, my hair was curled and little ringlets of blonde hung in my face. I was miserable.

"Amber Lee, you will enjoy this night or so help me I will publish those stories about what you did to those poor boys down in Mexico when we were on vacation." Amiee was clearly becoming upset by my lack of enthusiasm for the ensemble she had put together for me.

"I'm sorry Ames, I just don't like this whole... thing." I motion to the dress. "And you made it purple."

"It's not purple, it's iridescent lilac and it makes you look like a slice of perfection. Now quit bitching and put on your shoes so we can get out of here." She hands me a white cardboard box, grabbing the lid as I take it from her.

"These... are heels."

"Yes they are. Put them on."

"I can't walk in heels! I've owned one pair my entire life and nearly broke my neck the last time I wore them." Amiee grabs the four inch silver pumps from the box and growls at me. She places the shoes on the tile, ensuring that it's just the matter of me slipping my foot in and strapping them on.

"I'm trying to be nice but you are making this so damn difficult woman! Put these on, they match the clutch I got you and meet me downstairs in five minutes. I swear to Christ if you aren't down there looking like some Texan beauty queen I will come up here and make you regret it!" She tosses the box on the bed and storms out of the room.

"You know you're sealing my fate in these!" I scream after her, "I'm going to die at the social event of the year because I tripped and broke my neck in these silver... things!" I slide my foot into the first shoe, squatting down to get the buckle in place.

"So, heels hunh?" Jane stands in the doorway, wearing a sleeveless teal blue dress and black flats. "She must really like you to do that to you."

"Shut up." I growl, slipping the second shoe on. "I don't know why you don't have to look like some pageant contestant and I have to."

"Because I'm Jane Shep... Uh, Tripp." She smirks, "And I told her I can't wear heels."

"Great." I finish getting the buckle clasped and grab the silver clutch. There isn't room for much, but I manage to grab a few needed things and slip them inside.

"Ready?" Jane tosses her red hair from her face as she takes a step further into the hallway.

"Amber Lee! You better be on your way down here!" Amiee screams from the foyer and up the stairs.

"Hold your horses!" I run my hands over the front of my dress before following Jane out the door. I can feel myself wobble as we hit the stairs, making me reach for the banister to steady myself. Silently I say a prayer that I don't tumble head over feet down the elaborate staircase, sealing my fate of dying from a snapped neck.

"Perfection!" Amiee claps her hands together as I take the final step onto the landing. "The boys are already in the car, so whenever you _divas_ are ready." I glare at Amiee as she squeals a moment longer before leading us out the door.

"This is going to be so bad..." I saunter along behind Amiee, adjusting to the silver pillars underneath my feet as Jane starts to laugh.

"It could be worse." She tells me as the door closes with a soft thud. I look over my shoulder at Jane, wondering how it could possibly get much worse than this. "I could be in four inch silver heels too." I roll my eyes as I turn to face forward. I'm at a loss for something to tell her as I make my way to the long black limousine in front of us.

"A limo?" I watch Amiee get in as if this is a perfectly normal occurrence for her. I listen to her muffled voice as she starts to speak with the guys already in the middle of chatter. I take a deep breath as I slide into the leather seat beside her, "Is all this really necessary?"

"How else do you think everyone is getting there?" Ryan boasts as Jane slips in beside me. I look at the boys, all wearing nice dress suits and Adam with a black cowboy hat in his lap.

"Where did you get that?" I point at the thing in his hands, wondering what elaborate story he would come up with for the sudden appearance of this country accessory. I knew Adam, thinking ahead was not an ability that the simple soul was blessed with.

"Ryan gave it to me." I glare at Adam, knowing that if Ryan purchased it that wasn't some find at the local western wear distributor that was here in Canada. "Don't spoil it Amber, I never get anything this nice and you know it. Plus, I told him I wasn't going in that damn place looking like some CIA agent."

"I can't believe you're taking advantage of Ryan like that, Adam. You moron."

"Moron with a bad ass cowboy hat." He twirls his hat in his hands as I try not to laugh at his idiocracy, "Jane you look...you look..."

"I look?" She folds her arms, trying to decide of the next words would be Adam's last.

"You look sweeter than Dixie Crystal." Immediately I start to laugh, knowing that I would be the only person in the vehicle that gets the southern reference to the sugar we use in almost everything we make.

"What did you just say?" She glares at him from across the car, "Did you just insult me?"

"No! I gave you a compliment." Adam nearly stuttered turning beet red as his praise fell flat on a girl that had no inclination at what he was getting at. I looked at him, seeing that he was evidently disappointed in the woman's lack of interest in his flattery.

"He was basically saying that you look nice Jane." Amiee chimed in, trying to ease the growing tension in the already confined space.

"Uh hunh." Jane's voice was flat, but I knew she was smirking, making the feeling of bile rise in my throat.

"Y'all really make me question what exactly is going on between you two…" I mutter, leaning my head back against the leather seat. "But please do us all a favor, and don't bother explaining it. I think we would have nightmares."

"It's natural sis, it's supposed to…" I put one finger to my lips, telling him to hush.

"I don't want to hear it and neither does anyone else in this vehicle… Shut your mouth." I put my hand back in my lap and smiled.

As the car took us to some location that seemed to be out in the middle of nowhere, the excitement of Amiee seemed to be catching on. Adam was rattling on about something to do with farm equipment to Ryan who pretended to have an idea of what he was talking about. Amiee had convinced Dylan that Nick Combo was the ultimate musician and that this was sure to be the talk of the town for weeks. I just sank into the seat, creepy tingles making me feel more on edge than I could possibly try to ignore. I would catch Jane giving me the occasional glance to ensure I wasn't passed out, but she remained quiet and motionless beside me.

"He's really over done it with this property." Ryan said flatly, looking out the window as the car started to make the turn into the gated drive. The huge metal structure screamed prison to me as we passed through it and down the pathway to the house.

"Over done it? You think you can judge people for that?" I give a light chuckle, taking in the green landscaping and line of limousines that adorn the paved private road. "Or did your mansion just suddenly get smaller in comparison?" Ryan feigned a laugh as everyone became glued to the windows.

The moment that we were in the circle drive it seemed as through valets and people in fancy suits swooped down onto the car like vicious birds of prey. They opened doors and grabbed waiting hands, escorting each person out of the area so that room could be made for the next awaiting guest. It made me feel dizzy, never witnessing anything like it in my entire life. Ryan nodded his head, telling the people that welcomed us thank you and corralling us into an open area where we came to stand in a semi-circle.

"So I have to mingle, shake hands with corporate figures and all the fun stuff I know you all want to hear all about and be a part of." Ryan buttoned his jacket as she ran his hands over his suit, "You go make friends, and I'll catch up with you again shortly." A moment later he raised his hand, acknowledging some other suit as he cut in front of us to begin his due diligence that the corporate world required.

"So…" Adam ran his finger across the brim of his hat, "I would say this means I need a beer. Dylan, you coming with me?"

"My god, Adam. You sound like a girl that won't go to the bathroom by herself. You want to find the bar, then find the damn bar." I scoff, letting my annoyance at him be known.

"Who pissed in your cheerios, Am?" He glared at me, nudging Dylan in his side, "Come on, let this woman be pissy while we go find chicks… There's potential here, just look at the potential…" Adam starts to look a girl in a tight black dress making me shake my head.

"Dyl, go with him please and make sure he doesn't do something stupid." I shake my silver clutch in my right hand as I gesture for them to go.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, take him and go. I need… Where is Amiee?" When I turned to look at Jane I realized that my posh English friend had just disappeared, turning the group of five into a group of four.

"She took off when Ryan did." Jane shrugged.

"Fantastic…" I brushed a blonde ringlet from my face, turning back to Adam who was already headed to the bar with Dylan.

"Are we done having fun? Or did you forget you and I have things to take care of?" Jane started to walk away from me into a sea of people.

"I didn't forget." Taking small steps to follow her I try to look for the face of one, Mr. Casey Hudson. I knew that I didn't need Jane barging over to him in the middle of some important speech with people all around him and I was sure that the moment that he laid his eyes on her it would be very apparent that they would need a minute or two to talk. However given her renegade streaks I wasn't sure exactly how that would play out at such a big event like this.

The party was in full swing. Men dressed in suits with names I couldn't pronounce surrounded by women in designer dresses stood in little circles chatting about whatever came to their minds. There was a huge stage in the front draped in white cloth and a wooden dance floor that had been laid on the plush green grass that crunched with every step I took. Tables adorned the area around the stage, with blue fabric laid across them and candles that floated in a glass vases of water. I was tempted to sit and take a load off my feet as Jane continued to scamper through the crowd.

"You see him?" Jane's voice starts to blend in with the crowd as she gets further and further away from me, my aching feet becoming the culprit of the growing distance.

"Jane, you're moving too fast. I have these shoes and…" I nearly stumble, grabbing onto a svelte man beside me that starts to give me a once over. "I'm so sorry. I didn't…" I try to speak to him, losing my focus on Jane as I continue to make an idiot of myself.

"It's okay gorgeous. If you weren't chasing after her through such a crowd of people you might not have tripped." His eyes met mine, making me flush instantly.

"If my friend didn't pick out these silver death traps… I'm sorry I really I am." Releasing my hold on his arm I very quickly I realize that I had found the person we were looking for. I had found Casey Hudson.

"I didn't know that women still let their friends dress them." He stuck out his hand, making me guffaw at the fact he was actually approachable and decent. "My name is Casey, Casey…"

"Hudson…." Jane was suddenly beside me, nearly in a growl as she looked at me speaking with the person she had come there to confront about her "past".

"I uh… This is…I'm Amber, and this is my friend Jane." I watched as his eyes scanned the amazon woman beside me, quickly taking in the fact that this friend of mine was someone he knew better than most.

"Jane." Casey continued to hold out his hand waiting for her to respond, "I've been expecting you for quite some time. I can't say I thought you were going to show here like this… But alas, beggars…"

"Explain that." Jane hastily interrupted him. "What do you mean you've been expecting me?" I could hear a chortle start to rise in Casey as he regarded the woman beside me.

"My, she is a little renegade isn't she? At least you seem to get along with her well enough to get her here to me." He smoothed his hand over the front of his suit, "It's nice to meet you both, perhaps we can talk somewhere a little less… _exposed_?" He makes a gesture, away from the group of people that had seemed to find their own conversations with each other the moment that I had interrupted.

"Agreed." Jane seemed to be a woman of few words as she motioned for him to lead the way to somewhere more suited for what was sure to be an intriguing conversation. I smirked, looking at the woman in teal blue dress as I came to a realization that my part in her journey was finally over.

"Y'all have fun. I'm going to go find the boys." I nod to her, thinking that I was getting ready to actually enjoy a few moments of the party without worrying about her killing someone for a simple misunderstanding.

"You're leaving me?" The words catch me off guard, letting me know that I was to be included in the next steps she was ready to take with this man we had set out looking for days ago.

"Seriously? You're a big girl, Jane. You don't need me to hold your hand for this do you?" I start to laugh nervously as Casey watches the banter between us intently.

"She's attached to you in more ways than you could understand. Besides, would you honestly expect her to just let you walk away after all of this?" I sighed, something about listening to him as a voice of reason made me cringe, let alone the idea of him having a valid point in the matter.

"I guess…" I look at the two of them, clutching my little silver bag tightly to keep my nerves from showing, "Well? Let's go somewhere and get this over with."

"You sound thrilled." Casey gives a coy grin as Jane nods her head in approval of my decision.

"I'm glad you seem as enthused as I do." She tells me as I shrug, not knowing what else I can say to either of them.

Casey begins to lead the way through his guests and back to his vast mansion we walked through for a moment when we first arrived. He paraded through the people, making small waves to individuals that would tell him hello as we passed. I was right behind him, trying to avoid eye contact with the curious eyes wondering why some woman in a bright purple dress was chasing him like a puppy following his beloved owner. We approach the steps to his house when Casey Hudson was suddenly grabbed by a man in a black suit and pulled viciously away from us.

"Shit." Was all I could manage, turning around to see Jane's reaction being one that was calm and collected. "Shit, shit, shit!" I started to yell as I glance back to the man that had thrown Casey Hudson to the ground.

"Amber!" The man in black was headed in my direction, withdrawing a silver weapon as he tried to push past me to get to Jane. I stuck my hands out as if on instinct to block the man from taking another step in her direction, putting my hands against his chest while balancing in the silver heels.

"Amber!" I heard Jane scream again as he aimed the barrel of a gun at the left side of my chest, instantly making my biotics flare in a moment of fight or flight. I screamed in agony and anger as a feeling of dancing flames tore across skin. I stared the grey eyed man whose eyes had a piecing look of horror as the pain flowed through me and into where my hands were placed upon him. The man in black was as surprised by my biotics tearing at him as I was the sound of the gunpowder launching a bullet straight into my chest.

The moment that I was shot I was painfully aware of just how deadly the shot had been. The physics and biology classes that had made me so brutally mindful that there was no chance in hell I would survive this. I looked down as the man fell before me, his eyes wide and the gun slipping from his hands. I fell, crumpling into a ball into the bright green grass that was once underneath my feet. Rolling on my back I saw the night sky, the last thing I thought I would ever see.


	14. Chapter 14

When I was a kid, I would sit in front of the television with my family and watch these shows about people who had a near death experience. These individuals yacked on for hours about the overwhelming emotions that they felt as they meandered closer and closer to the end of their lives. Essentially they had me convinced that death wasn't something to be fearful of, that the pain would no longer matter as the arms of whatever deity awaited you wrapped its arms around you in a loving embrace. Over the period of my lifetime it had become more that just some idea that had been planted in the recesses of my brain, it had become a fact that I had whole heartedly believed up until the day that I died. Now, that I was dead there was only one thing I could think, "Damn liars."

#

Fear, anger, loathing, disgust, anguish… the feelings and emotions encompassed in these words were the only thing I could focus on as the pain in my chest radiated through me like pulses of pure hell. I would have screamed had I thought it would alert someone or do something to make me feel an ounce better. The efforts would have been wasted, just like the stupid years I spent in college getting a degree that no longer mattered because I chose to try and save Jane Shepard.

Slowly the gripping agony on the left side of my body was dissipating, leaving me in total darkness with thoughts of my life echoing in the empty vacuum of what I believed to be my head. Everything felt fuzzy, like the words I was telling myself had lost meaning as I ended up on my back in this place. Wait, I was in a place. That meant either I reached the proverbial other side or that I was still lying in Casey Hudson's plush green landscaping at that stupid party. I needed to move, I had to see just what the hell was going on. Forcing my eyes open I look up at grey clouds that are being obscured by tree tops.

"What the hell?" I groan as I try to sit up. The first thing that catches my eye is the armor that's covering my chest where a gaping hole from the moron with a gun shot me should be. "Armor? Oh come on death, give me a freaking break…" I run my fingers over it gingerly, as though I was going to break the black obsidian looking plastic. It was cool and rigid as I rapped my fingers on the chest piece that was form fitted to every curve of my upper torso.

"Metal?" I whispered as I took in the rest of the ensemble. From my neck to my feet I was covered in this exoskeleton looking thing that glinted in the light that made it through the miserable clouds above me. I shook my head, telling myself that the grim reaper had a wicked sense of humor to do something like this after everything I had been through. I placed my hand on the ground beside me to study myself as I rolled to my feet. Blinking a few times, I took in my surroundings.

"This would be my version of hell. At least I know where my actions in life brought me." I made myself smile at the irony of it all. I was back in this dream that I had been avoiding and lying about for months. "Perfect..." I was well aware of what was going to happen next. Taking a deep breath I put my right foot forward, waiting for the hounds of hell known as biotics to tear at my flesh. Nothing happened. I raised my eyebrow as I took another step and there was still no pain.

"Oh come on!" I yell out to no one in particular. "You want to play head games with me? Just make me try to teach physics to Adam, at least I'd understand the torture behind that!" With an exaggerated sigh I start to walk in a random direction, it wasn't like standing in the same spot for all eternity was going to do me any good.

"Aaaaamber." A voice called to me on the wind. I spun in a circle as dead leaves crunched beneath my feet. "Aaaaaamber."

"No… No effing way." I started to jog in the opposite direction I thought the voice came from, determined that I wasn't about to relive the hell that Shepard had been doomed to every time she had come to this place. After a moment of running, I had forgotten about where I was or what I was doing. I was lost in thought about how effortless it was to move in the armor, my every whim uninhibited by the black metal that covered me. I pushed myself to go faster, each step making me feel more and more like my old living self again. It had been ages since I had been able to run, since I had felt the freedom of going miles without having to stop for one reason or another. I decided to sprint through a small thicket of trees, letting the branches whirr by me as a smile came across my face at the speed that I was able to maintain.

"Heaven." I said between breaths as the landscape in front of me seemed to shift. I skid to a halt just before the wooden bench suddenly appeared in my path. "Now what?"

"Aaaaamber." The voice called to me again. I turned around in a small circle, trying to pinpoint the direction of the person that was calling me. After letting my eyes graze over the landscape around me I came back to facing the bench, and him.

"You? What are you doing here?" I crossed my arms in the same way that Jane did when she was feeling unnerved about the person standing in front of her. I hadn't seen this face since I was at my uncle's house years ago but immediately I knew who it was.

"What you think I'm doing here? I'm enjoying the scenery, the same as you, Amber." His words were like acid. Even the way the "r" rolled off his tongue as he said my name was enough to make me want to vomit on his feet.

"So this truly is hell?" I tried to think of a smartass comment as he stared at me, his piercing blue eyes and aura of smugness sending me into a state of anxiousness. "Figures that out of all the people I could get stuck with forever, it would be you."

"We don't have much time, and I have to tell you something important. If you're smart, you'll hear me out."

"Is that a threat?" Wishing I had checked the armor for a weapon I wait for him to speak again. He stands up and moves closer to me. I can feel myself growl at him, "And as if you weren't aware, time doesn't matter in hell. We have an eternity together, Lucas."

"I need a favor from you." He grins at me with the same look he had when we were kids and he was about to try and push my buttons.

"Oh, screw you ass." I kick the leaves in his general direction, "Why the hell would I do anything for you? Like ever?"

"Because in the end you will have a choice, someone you love or Jane. I need to make sure you choose the right thing. Knowing you, you'll over think it and then we'll all end up six feet underground."

"You're a moron." I turn to walk away, "I hated you when we were kids. You think I'm just going to pretend that all that crap never happened now that we're here? You think I'd listen to a damn thing that comes out of your bug eating mouth."

"Amber, you have to listen to me. This is important." He circles in front of me and puts his hands on my shoulders, eliciting a frown from me. "This has nothing to do with the shit that happened when we were kids."

"It was always important, Lucas." I push his hands off my shoulders as I start to walk away again. "Why the hell are you here? If what you have to tell me is so flipping pertinent then why didn't they give me someone I liked?"

"Fuck if I know. Look, like it or not you're stuck with me. You have to hear what I have to say. It's going to matter." I stop walking as he catches up to me.

"Then talk… Talk and talk and talk until I want to punch you and tie you to a tree and make you cry!" I yell at him, "You remember that you punk ass? The last time you told me you had something important to tell me I had to whoop your ass!" I shove him as hard as I can, watching him fly a foot back from me.

"Amber, fucking listen to me! Quit letting your stupid Texan pride get in the damn way of what matters here."

"I've had a long day, I'm not in the mood for your damn games Eskimo!" I yell at him as I make my hands into fists at my side.

"You stubborn redneck! You're going to get everyone killed! Adam and Jane! Dylan and Amiee! All of them!" He screams back, "If you don't listen to me, you will have to face living with that for the rest of your life!"

"What are you talking about?" My eyes are wide as I look at the expression on his face, it was fear. Even with the hate that felt for him the concern for my friends and family made me want to know what he so desperately needed to tell me.

"Amber, when the time comes you are going to have to…"

#

If the impact of the bullet in my chest hadn't left me gasping for air I would have screamed the moment I had opened my eyes. Everything was a blurred nightmare as I tried to reach for my chest, only to drop my hand back against the ground. I was still on my back at Casey Hudson's house, the green grass cushioning me as I laid there. Tears welled in my eyes as the fact I wasn't a corpse decorating the yard like tacky lawn art became a reality. Yet, something was off, very off. I had died, why was I waking up in the same spot?

"Garrus, get her the hell out of here!" Jane's voice echoed in my skull as I felt myself being hoisted up over a shoulder. I could feel myself being jostled as gun fire rang out around me. My eyes felt so heavy that it was a burden to try and keep them open. I wanted to know what in the hell was going on, but couldn't make any real sense out of anything as I was carried up the steps and back into the house. My chest was heaving as I continued to breathe. I being was moved by some stranger as the world was falling into total chaos. Jane had screamed the name Garrus before I was lifted, making me think that the lack of blood to my brain was now making me hallucinate worse than a dream with Lucas yelling at me.

"Ow." I whispered as I was set down like a piece of pristine glassware by what I thought was an elevator. I closed my eyes as the stranger yelled out at the people approaching us, resonations in his voice filling the air as shots rang out in close quarters. The door opened behind me with a ping as the blue and silver blur again lifted me up to get me inside the metal box.

"Are you okay? You've lost a lot of blood and your injuries…" He stopped speaking as the door closed.

"I don't want to go back, please don't make me go back again." I slumped over as I started to tremble violently. I was trying to tell myself that if I lost consciousness again I would be swept back into that hell with Lucas. It was enough to make me hold on to the shreds of life that I had left.

"Just hold on." There was a metallic ping as the door flew open.

"Fuck, I didn't know she was that bad. They said she was shot, not dead." I closed my eyes as I heard the voice echo in the elevator.

"Just… Just let me die…" I gasped as the blonde headed demon came through the silver doors. He was dressed in grey as he kneeled down beside me. I tried to lift my arm to swat at him as he touched the spot on my chest where the bullet had hit me. I screamed with every ounce of strength I had left.

"Here." The fuzzy looking man in blue and silver handed the demon something as he continued to poke me.

"No, she needs surgery. It didn't go straight through her, if I heal her now it would just make things more complicated later on." The two of them are looking at each other as I hear my breath becoming jagged as I sat there.

"I already injected her with…" I groaned as the two voices mixed together. The one guy had tried to save me only to bring me to what I was sure was going to be certain death. The blonde wrapped his arms around me, trying to get my out of the elevator before I bled to death.

"Lucas! Not you Lucas!" I screamed at him with what little energy I was able to muster as he placed me something soft. I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer, "I hate… I hate you! I rather…" I felt the sting of needle as everything stopped aching.

"I thought she would never shut up…" Lucas's smug face was the last thing I saw as I fell back into a state of blackness.

#

"Amber?" It was like waking up on any other morning, except I felt like I had been run over by a Mack truck the night before. I groaned as light burned my eyes, making me want to hit something as I came back to a state of awareness.

"Dyl?" I whispered as I recognized the face beside me and started to smile. "Better than last time I died." I say softly as I reach out to touch him. "Much better." With my hand skirting his face gently I turn my head to look around and see just where the hell I was. It looked like a hospital room but not like the ones I had ever been in during my lifetime. Everything was high end and upgraded. Huge panels of monitors adorned the wall to my left, methodic beeping that indicated my heart was working ricocheted off the walls of the room. I tried to sit up only to be gripped with pain and forced to lie there against my own desire.

"Hold on, just let me get the doctor and tell him you're awake." I nod my head as he lets go of my hand and walks around the side of my bed and out the door. I fixate on the huge monitors next to my bed, the eerie orange and blue glow of my vitals on the panels of electronics I had never envisioned before. I was a biomedical engineer and hospital equipment was part of my forte, but this was lost on me. I looked at the different sized panels as I waited for Dylan to come back with the doctor. My x-rays were illuminated on a huge one furthest away from me. I tried to see the amount of damage that was done when I noticed a funny blur at the base of my skull.

"What the…" My thoughts were disrupted as Dylan came back into the room followed by a man in lab coat.

"Amber, this is…"

"Lucas." I say with exasperation clearly in my voice as I look at the blonde headed man who has entered the room shortly behind Dylan. "Dear god."

"Good to see you up again, Ms. Boeshanz." I close my eyes as Dylan gives me a confused look. "At least it seems that your memory as come through unscathed. I was sure that your already diminished…"

"Shut up." I say as I open my eyes, "I said to let me die. I meant it. Now I'm never going to hear the end of this."

"Amber, he saved your life." Dylan interjected, at a loss as how we seemed so informal with each other. Lucas was not a name I would have told anyone besides Adam, and evidently my block head brother hadn't recognized the tool, assuming that they had laid eyes on one another.

"I hate you, Lucas Radioshackovich." I groaned as I looked at Dylan, "Did he touch me? Please tell me it wasn't him."

"It was me, I'm the one that saved you. The least you can do is be a little grateful for that. I could have let you bleed out in the elevator like a dying animal."

"I would have preferred it!" I bark at him, "I can't get away from you! You're like a demon that wants to possess me or something! Even in death you follow my happy ass!"

"You think I enjoy being around some ignorant redneck?" Lucas gave a devious smile as he looked at Dylan, "Besides, you're just another patient to me at this point."

"Fine." I snidely tell him, "Evidently I'm not dead so you can leave me alone." I try to sit up again, gritting my teeth as I lift my back from the medical bed I was attempting to get out of.

"You aren't healed yet. We have applied liberal dosages of medigel but the quality of it is not comparable to what Shepard had in her time. We are still working on the replication-"

"Shepard. Oh god, tell me she is okay." I turn to look at Dylan, "Where is she?"

"She's fine. We're all fine except for you." Dylan moves closer to the side of my bed, "And you're well on your way to being just fine again too, babe."

"I need to tell you about the implant." Lucas touches the x-ray on the console beside me, "We had to do something about your biotics to keep you from frying out the rest of your nervous system."

"You did what?" The blood rushed drained from my face and I felt sick, "You cut me? You cut me open without my permission?"

"Adam…" Dylan started to explain.

"You let Adam say it was okay for this blonde idiot to open me up and do things to me while I slept? Adam?" I was ignoring the pain in my chest and at the back of my neck. I was livid. "What the hell did you do to me?"

"Your biotics are being suppressed by a dampener that I implanted at the base of your skull. We don't have the needed technology to make you an implant but this should keep you from feeling like you are being fried from the inside out."

"Screw you both!" I yell as I put my feet on the cold tile floor, "You can't do this… And him. Him of all the people in the damn world is the one that saved me? You don't know the hell I put him through when we were kids!" I scream at Dylan, "I hate this brat!"

"Right back at you, cutie." He pressed his pen to his lips as a sly smile came over him. I stood up, seething in anger as I felt my weight stretch my legs for the first time in god knows how long. I knew that the pain killers were keeping me from screeching in pain, but I was going to be damned if they kept me from killing this punk ass who was pushing all the right buttons.

"You're so dead Eskimo boy!" I took a step and toppled to the ground. Dylan was at my side, trying to grab me and keep me from hurting myself further. I brushed him off as I stood up again. "You… I hate you." I grabbed the edge of the bed that I felt I was being tied to by my weakened state.

"Fuck you too, Amber." He remarked as he left the room laughing. Dylan helped me back to my feet as I scowled at the door.

"Small world." He said nonchalantly. "You actually know him?"

"I grew up with him. How the hell did he end up here? Where is here Dyl?" I tried to let the anger leave me as I calmed down slowly.

"We're downstairs at Casey's place. He's… you missed a lot." I sat on the edge of the bed.

"You think?" I could feel myself start to shake as I took my weight off my feet, "I don't know what's going on anymore."

"Casey knew about Shepard, I mean he knows about it all. This is just a giant mess and we're caught up in the middle of things."

"Well, tell me what you know." I sigh as I start to reach for the back of my neck, feeling the white gauze bandage that's covered in medical tape.

"Shepard isn't the only one that was brought here. She was just the one that was lost. Garrus, Wrex, Liara, Ashley, even Tali are here on the grounds."

"You're telling me that every single one of her team is around here somewhere?" I pull my hand from the back of my neck and think about what he just said. Images of the person in silver and blue flash across my memories, "Garrus saved me."

"Yeah, he did. You… How could you do that to all of us?" Dylan looked away from me, "You got yourself shot, and you lied about the biotics you have. What were we supposed to do if…" His voice stopped as I grabbed his hand.

"You'd have figured it out. You're smart enough to..." Dylan pulled his hand away from me.

"You got yourself shot. You were dead and there was nothing we could do? What if Garrus hadn't been there to take you to that doctor? Then what, Amber?"

"I don't… I don't know, but I had to save her." I reached for him again as he pulled away, "I didn't know that I was going to die, you act like it was something I wanted to do."

"And the biotics? Not telling me and keeping secrets from me again? You keep lying to me. I can't trust you if you don't tell me the truth. Finding out when you're shot and dying and…"

"Dyl.."

"Fuck just don't… I need to go. I'll send Adam or Jane or… Just fuck, Amber." He walked out of my room, leaving me sitting there with the beeping monitors screaming at me as my heart raced. Tears filled my eyes as I brought my hands to my face. I didn't know what else to do or say, I didn't know how to explain why keeping my secrets had been the best idea at the time.

"Hey…" The deep southern voice of Adam filled the room as the door swung open again. I looked up, seeing the one person who I normally would have been less than enthusiastic about laying eyes on again. "Are you okay?" I reached for him as he stepped over to me, letting me bury my face in his shoulder as his arms wrapped around me.

"It's such a mess, Adam. I messed it up so bad." I started to sob as he made small circles with his hand over my shoulders, "Why do these things keep happening? Why can't I…" I couldn't make the words come out as he pulled me closer.

"Everyone's just thankful that you're okay sis. Damn, I didn't think you had it in you anymore." He pulled back, letting his brown eyes meet mine, "You can't just go in to a war zone and let everyone else duke it out can you? You have to be my little attention whore of a sister."

"Shut up." I let my fingers wipe away the tears on my face, "I wasn't trying to die."

"Well, you did a damn good job of it for your first time." A big goofy smile came across his face, "Can't say that I'm surprised that you managed to get yourself killed before me. I just always thought it would be in a car, not at some fancy party."

"Dylan said that everyone else is okay. Are they? Is that true?"

"All the ones that matter are here in the labs. It seems like Ryan's missing but…"

"Ryan? Where is Ryan?" My heart started to race as I thought about the man who was like a brother being killed in a fire fight that I asked him to go to. "Oh god no… No, no…"

"He's not dead." Adam said as he put his hand back on my shoulder, "Amber, we need to talk about him. He's…"

"The evil bastard I said he was." Jane was leaning in the door frame as the interrupted Adam, "He's the reason you were shot. I told you he would get you killed."

"What are you talking about? Where is he?" I was almost screaming at the two of them as they acted so smug together, "Where is Ryan?"

"Ryan is exactly what I said." Jane walked over to me and sat on the corner of the bed beside me. "He's working for the wrong people and almost got you killed in the process. This has all been a set up from the very beginning."

"Enough… you all keep talking to me in riddles." I swat Adam's hand off my shoulder as I look at Jane, "I want to know what the hell is going on, now."

"Ryan's company is a front company for a technological corporation. They've been doing genetic alteration on human beings as far back as the 1970's. His relationship with you has been purely for selfish reasons of that company."

"I don't… I don't believe you." I can feel my heart breaking as the information pours from her lips, "He's like a brother."

"Don't compare me to that." Adam smiles, "I wouldn't do to you what he did. Ever."

"Do what to me? What are you talking about?"

"We can come back to that later. In the meantime I need to speak with you about Hudson." Jane looked to Adam as he took the hint to leave the room. I watched as the door shut with a thud and I took a deep breath.

"What happened?"

"You died for me, you did the one thing that no one has managed to do for me in I don't recall how long and… Look Amber, this is where you are done. I have to leave. I have to go back to where I belong and do what I was born to do."

"Wait, what?" I look at her, "You're leaving me after all of this? This hell I went through with you here and that's the end of it?"

"I have to finish what I started." Jane stood in front of me, "The fate of the galaxy-"

"Don't give me that crap!" I yell at her, "I died to save you and now you're telling me that it wasn't for any other reason than to pretend that this all never happened? Screw you… screw all of you!" I scream at her, "You aren't leaving here, you can't just up and… and…"

"Look kid, this isn't my time or place. This is the beginning of your time to get things together and get us ready for what's coming years from now. If I stay here than the reapers and Cerberus will win, I have to go."

"No." I let the word form with firmness as I grip the blanket that was once used to cover me as I slept. "I'm not just letting this happen. I've been through too much to just let you walk out of my life. If you leave me here after finding out about all of this I can only imagine the hell that my life would become."

"There are so many things that I can't explain to you. How we got here, how we are getting back, how you have biotics and no one else in this time does? You have to stay here and figure this out." She brushes her hair from her face.

"I'm not giving you a choice. I'm… I'm going with you." I bite my bottom lip as I close my eyes, "I'm going with you and I will figure it out then."

"You're going to give all this up? Your entire life for something that you thought was nothing more than a game?"

"Yes." I let my eyes meet hers, a small smile forming on my face, "I'm going with you to your time. I'm going to help you in all of this, and we will do this together."

"Amber, you'll leave everyone behind. Adam, Amiee, and Dylan, they aren't going to be able to come. Can you do that? Choose me over the people that you love in this lifetime?" The moment the words were spoken I thought of Lucas and his statement while we were locked in hell together. I was going to have to make a choice, and here it was, plain as day.

"I choose you Shepard." I almost groan as I say the words I was dreading hearing from myself. "I choose to help you and to leave this entire life behind."

"I'll make sure that preparations are made. You need to say good bye." There was no emotion in this as she spoke, the words ringing hallow as I let them wash over me like a cold summer rain.

"They'll all be dead, won't they?" I ask as she stands to leave me.

"They will have all lived their lives. I'll talk to Hudson and see if there is any way to bring them but I have a feeling…"

"Don't get my hopes up." I look at my hands as I run them over my arms, "I don't want to make this any more complicated that it already is going to be."

"Understood. We're leaving in a few hours from what I was told. I'll give you some time to get yourself together."

"Thanks." I utter softly as she closes the door with a soft thud. I push myself off the bed and look for something to dress myself in, finding a pair of grey scrubs in a drawer beneath the panels of monitors beside me.

It was time for me to say good-bye.

_**A/N- Umm.. the story has taken me for an unexpected ride, I mean really. I've been fretting over this and lost sleep because of what I am about to do. There will be one more chapter of Welcome to Earth- 2013. With the help of my main characters, TheRev28, Lady Loki Krios, and CuhNadian, I will be using these characters in a sequel. Thanks for reading! I love you all!** _


	15. Chapter 15

"I'm all done removing your IV, Ms. Boeshanz." I groan as I look at my right arm and see the little puff of the cotton ball covered by a piece of peach colored medical tape. I could already feel the stiffness in my elbow start to grow as I repeated the motion of straightening and bending it a few times.

"All this high tech medical junk and we still have IV's and Band-Aids. That seems to fit this whole futuristic motif y'all have going on around here." I watch her as she slips off the green nitrile gloves and tossed them onto a surgical steel tray beside her. As thankful as I was for the equipment that had been feeding me whatever mixture of drugs over the past few days, I needed to get away from the damn beeping noise my heart was making on the monitors beside my bed.

"Dr. Rayce-"

"Don't," I put my hand up to make her stop, "I don't care what he says, or does, or…"

"Or what, Amber?" I look up and see Lucas standing where the once closed door was. Suddenly I was very aware of the fact that the top of my scrubs was still sitting on the bed beside me and not on my person.

The IV had to be removed from my arm before I could get the shirt on or else it would have quickly become a tangled mess with the little tubes that were still sticking out of my skin. I hadn't thought about anyone walking into the room while she was attending to me. Ultimately it meant that the moment he decided to check on me, I had little more on than the bottoms of the scrubs I had found in one of the drawers in the room, and my black bra.

"Lucas! Get the hell out of here!" I look for something to throw at him as he starts to laugh.

"Please, what do you think you had on when I was saving your life on the operating table? There's not much of you that I haven't seen at this point." I felt my face start to flush red as I grab the shirt beside me to start slip it on. He may have seen me naked, but that didn't mean that he needed to sit there and bask in the glory that was Amber.

"I hate you."

"And you think that matters to me because?" His words dripped with sarcasm as he raised one eyebrow, "I just came by to check on your biotic dampener and gunshot wound. You know, do that whole Socratic oath thing that doctors are supposed to adhere to? Even though I don't like you, the idea of you dying at my hands is just not something I feel like living with for the rest if my life." I pull the top down over my head and slide my arms through the sleeves as I shoot him a look of death.

"I'm fine, thank you." He looks up from writing on his clipboard and lets his eyes meet mine. I had always hated his creepy blue irises. It was like he had a way to bore in your soul while you spoke with him, he would make you confess things that you would have kept hidden from every other person on the planet.

"I need to check- "He reaches out to touch me and as an involuntary reflex I smack him upside the head.

"You touch me and I will punch you in your stupid face!" I automatically start to yell at him, getting to my feet as he stares at me like a child throwing a tantrum. "I don't need you for anything!" I feel myself wince in pain from moving my arm faster than I should have. I grit my teeth and simply try to swallow it in attempt to hide any weaknesses from Lucas as bolt towards the door. "Haven't you done enough to me already?"

"I saved your damn life _and_ did you a fucking favor. You better get used to the idea of us being together for all eternity." I let my hand fall from the handle as I turn back to him in shock. He had just uttered the same words from what I could only describe as my subconscious version of hell. Surely he didn't know about any of it, and I doubt he would tell me anything if he did.

"What did you just say, you ass?" The question should have been vague enough to get an answer from him without me having to confess he was the man of my dreams.

"Just the fact that you aren't the only person on the planet deemed special enough to hitch a ride on the Normandy. We are going to be stuck together, in close quarters, for a long time." He gave me a knowing smile that made me flinch as I came to understand his earlier smart ass comment.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You heard me, redneck. I'm going with you." I opened my mouth to tell him off, only to be met with another one of his smart ass comments, "I'm not going to argue with you like some spoiled brat who never gets her way. I had enough of that when we were kids."

"There is no way in hell that you are coming with us, there is no reason to have a doctor of stupidity as part of this team."

"I'm not really a medical doctor, but you wouldn't know that because the only person who you were ever interested in was your damn self." He shrugged his shoulders, "Besides, it's not up to you, is it?"

"No, it's… Wait, you aren't a doctor? Why the hell were you operating on me?" I'm almost snarling as I make my hands into fists by my side, "What kind of moron cuts open a person without being qualified?"

"They call me Dr. Raycevich because I am the head of the team that has been doing research for Casey Hudson here over the past four years. Besides, it's not like I am the one that cut you open, I'm the one that used the program and operational machinery that did the work. I am the most _qualified_ to use the equipment."

"So you're still a liar, just like when we were kids." I say flatly, "You ass, you could have killed me!"

"You did a fine job of getting that done without my help, Amber. Now let me look at your-" I smack him outside his head as he reaches for me again. There was nothing on this planet that was going to convince me to allow him to get his grubby little fingers on my skin again.

"Screw you!" I screech at him, "There is no way that you are poking at me, you aren't even a damn doctor!"

"Will you cut that out! I'm not going to be able to see if you're healing properly. There isn't anyone else here than can tell if you're going to be okay."

"I rather be dead than have you touching me again you idiot!" Lucas stands there with a blank expression on his face as I step further away from him. "I hate you." The malice in my voice clearly audible as I glower at him, "I really hate you more than I've ever hated anyone in my entire life!" I was seething as he shook his head at me in jest. "I don't know why you're here, or whose leg you humped to get this position, but you are still the biggest idiot I have ever met!"

"Amber?"

"What!" I scream as I turn to see Adam standing there in the doorway behind me. "Adam…" I take a deep breath, "I'm sorry… I just…" Becoming annoyed, Lucas started his teasing again without hesitation.

"You really are clueless, aren't you? I thought the blonde hair was just-"

"You're blonde too, jackass!" I interject, looking away from Adam and back at his weird blue eyes.

"You still think this is all some great coincidence don't you? Come on, Amber." Lucas was eerily calm as he stood there talking to me about everything. It was like my anger was fueling his odd sense of serenity that coated him like a protective buffer.

"Shut up! I'm not some idiot that can't grasp simple concepts like other people I know."

"Well, you kinda are if you haven't realized all of this yet." He smiles as he tosses his clipboard on the bed. "So let's start simple so that we don't confuse her royal highness."

"Stop being such an ass to me. I might not know what's going on at this very moment but I'm not going to be in the dark forever."

"Amber, you need to calm down and listen to him. He's like the resident nerd of all things Shepard related here." Adam puts his hand on my shoulder. "Trust me on this, sis. Hear him out and beat the shit out of him later." I look from Adam back to Lucas, waiting for whatever lies were sure to flow out of his mouth next.

"Fine," Nearly in a growl I narrow my eyes as I look at Lucas, "Well moron, go ahead and start your explanation." A devious smile comes across his face as he gloats in the fact he knows more than I do. He had won this little tiff because Adam made me stop myself to hear him out.

"Shepard is the key to everything in Mass Effect right? Getting rid of her would have disrupted everything in the future. There wouldn't be a way for the reapers to be stopped and the cycle would have continued."

"So for some reason she was sent here?" I ask him as I rub the back of my neck, feeling how sore it is from whatever piece of tin he embedded there while I was sleeping.

"We don't know why, but yes. She was sent here and so was the rest of her team. It just happened to be at different times."

"Time travel? Did you huff nitrous or pop a few pills before you came in here?" I drag my hands down the front of my face, "I mean it. Are you high or something? Because seriously, that's got to be the dumbest thing I've ever heard."

"Just listen to me damn it. So like I was saying, they've all been waiting on Shepard, and I'm guessing in some roundabout way, on you."

"You've got to be kidding me right? I mean you're just playing games with me like you did when we were kids." I tried to judge if he was lying or not by the look on his face, "You're telling me that somehow her team traveled back through time to find her, because she was lost in time because blah blah blah…. And now I'm roped into this whole mess and…"

"You are such a pain in the ass, Amber. This whole thing means that you need to go with her and help her stop Cerberus and the reapers. It means that you are going to be a savior of the galaxy along with her." I glance at Adam, unsure if he caught on to the idea that Lucas had just blurted out so nonchalantly.

"Amber?" Adam starts to ask before I could even start to explain. I shook my head as I told myself that Lucas was a certified nut job.

"That's it. Get me the hell away from you. I need to talk to someone that isn't some crazy bug eating psycho." I make the grab for the door handle as he tries to continue explaining himself.

"Amber, just listen to-"

"You know what? I don't care how in the hell you ended up here, just stay the hell away from me you damn freak." Flinging the door open harder than I should have with my left arm, I fell to my knee from the hellacious onset of spastic pain. I wasn't recovered physically but damn if I cared. Lucas knew how to make my blood boil and that was a good enough reason to not let myself get stopped by a few pricks of agony.

"Amber?" Adam reached down to help as he circled around to the front of me. "Damn it kid, you don't know how to just take it easy do you?"

"Shut up, Adam." I smacked his outstretched hand as I stood again. "I'm having a bad day."

"You always say that." He gave a sly grin, "So, what do you think about all this?" He tried to smile at me as I shuffled my weight foot to foot.

"All of what?" I was still pissy from dealing with the blonde headed demon. Trying not to take out my frustration on my brother I took a deep breath. "Sorry, Adam. What do I think about what?"

"Amber, look." He put his hand under my chin to turn my head to the far left. I hadn't realized that I wasn't in an actual hospital until that very moment. There it was, the holy grail of the Mass Effect universe was sitting in front of me and I hadn't even noticed it because I was so consumed by my own frustration with Lucas.

"It's not real." I stammer as my eyes make it to the massive thing in front of me that was harnessed by a million metallic rods and docking apparatuses. "This is all so…"

"It's a ship. Just like bronze model one that you have sitting on the corner of your desk. Well, I mean it's bigger but…" I put my hand up to indicate that his words weren't going to make a difference as I stood there in this huge underground warehouse. In front of me was the one thing I swore I would never see with my own two eyes, the one thing that suddenly made the idea of leaving with Jane seem all the more real.

"It's the damn Normandy." I breathe as I let my eyes take in the Alliance markings and scratches on the hull. "It's really the damn Normandy."

"Yeah, and they have freaking aliens here too. There's this hot blue chick that looks like a jelly fish fused to her head, and then there is a chick in some suit. She's got these weird glowing spots for eyes and this bad ass Russian accent. I've never banged a foreign chick before."

"You sure have been busy haven't you?" I couldn't help but smile at this point as I let whatever anger I was holding onto melt away. Adam was not a complex person by any means and this was far from easy to understand. This would have been hell for most simple minded person, but not him. He was here with his sister, ready to face whatever came our way together just like we had always done.

"I wasn't all laid up in some fancy bed trying to get beauty sleep." He leans in closer to me, "By the way, I think you could use a few more days of it, I don't think the three days did the trick." I gently slug him in his shoulder with my right arm as I feel a smile creep across my face.

"So making friends with alien babes while I am sleeping, hunh?" I ask him as he rubs his arm.

"You know how the ladies love me."

"Of course." I stand on my toes as I run my fingers through his hair. "We need to talk, Adam."

"Damn it, ain't nothing good ever came out of those words." His face went slack, "What did I do this time?"

"It's not you, it's me."

"Not any better, Ambie."

"Ugh. Look, something's come up like Lucas said. I'm not going back to Texas with you or going to be around anymore, I'm leaving." I avoid making eye contact with him for fear that simplest reaction would make me doubt my own motives. Here I was, getting ready to separate the duo of the Boeshanz's that took on everything together in order to chase a dream that I wasn't even sure I would be able to explain to him.

"I know, Jane told me." Adam avoided me as I looked back at the Normandy.

"And you aren't mad?" I ask him, "I figured you would have been, I don't know, pissed or something."

"Why? Because you drug my happy ass to Canadia Land and got shot? Because you're hard headed and no matter what I tell you, you've got your mind made up already?" He puts his hand on my shoulder and smiles, "Or maybe it's the fact that you got me a ticket to paradise with my woman on that metal stallion?"

"Was that even English?" I started to laugh at him as I let the words hit me like a semi-truck, "Wait, what?"

"You heard me. I ain't about to let you just take off on some intergalactic suicide mission without your older brother." Adam raised his eyebrows, "Besides, there's hot alien chicks out there that need a man like me. I'm going to be their damn savior and kick some craw-fish alien ass."

"What the hell are you talking about? Just a while ago Jane told me that I might not even be able to go, and now you're telling me that you're coming with me? What did I miss?"

"Damn, they really kept you out of the loop."

"I was shot!" I bark at him, "I was busy trying not to die, it's not my fault that you all decide to have council meetings without me. Now explain this, Adam, you asshole." He takes a deep breath and stares down at his feet.

"Look sis, I love you. I was damn near scared to death when I was going to lose you when all hell broke loose upstairs at the party a few days ago. We've been through Hades together, always supporting one another no matter what came our way. Did you really think that anyone could come up with a reason that I wouldn't be there with you? Did you even really think that it would have been an option?" He raises his head, his eyes meeting mine as I read the emotions on his face. Yes, Adam had always been an asshole, but he was my asshole brother and not even the galaxy could come between us.

"Adam, you'd be leaving everyone and everything here. You know that right?" Unconvinced that he was aware of what he was getting into, I asked him in a more straightforward fashion, "Everyone would be gone."

"I wouldn't be alone either, I'd have you. Besides, the media has already reported us dead."

"What? They think we're… When did that happen?" I couldn't fathom what I had just heard. It was one thing to report me as injured but the idea that we had all died in some old timey western shootout situation just seemed like a line of bullshit.

"Alright brainiac, let's think about this. We were at some fancy shindig with a million people that have cell phones with cameras. You and a bunch of other people got shot. It made a huge scene that everyone got on video. We just added a few more names to the list of casualties and called it done."

"You mean our whole family thinks that we're dead?" Adam and I had ventured out on our own years ago, leaving the nest to live our own lives. The end result had made us so much closer but distanced us dramatically from the rest of our kin, not that there were many of them but still.

"Naw, not just them, Amber, the whole damn world does. It's all over the news that Ryan's fancy ass company is actually a terrorist organization. That man is going down in flames." Adam smiles as he imitates a plane crashing into the palm of his hand.

"Wait, so our deaths have made national news and Ryan is getting the blame for all of it?"

"Pretty much. Besides, can't have a bastard like that know that you're alive and kicking, you having that space magic stuff in your hands and all."

"I'm so damn confused. Jane said we couldn't all go when we talked but now it seems like we are all going to get swept under the rug. Is that why we're all getting shoved aboard the Normandy?"

"Almost all of us." Jane says flatly as she saunters over to us, "I've talked it over with Casey and with both agree that having you stay here means that there is a chance that someone would figure out that you didn't die by the hand of that company. The idea of them being labeled a terrorist organization is based on your deaths. I rather risk taking you all with me than letting more harm come to people in this time by the hand of that asshole."

"So our deaths are going to shut down whatever evil was being planned by that company?" I ask her as I think of Ryan. He had been like a brother to me and the idea of him being a villain was more than I wanted to really think about at the moment. It was a sore spot that made my heart ache in a way I couldn't explain.

"If I can keep innocent lives from harm's way, then I will make the needed sacrifices to do so. Ruthless calculus that affects almost all of us in one way or another."

"You keep saying almost, like someone isn't coming along for the ride." I rub my forehead as I go over the names of people that I had brought into this trip to hell. There were only two options that would apply here. "Amiee or Dylan?"

"Amiee is coming with us. I believe that she might come to be something of an asset with where we are headed." Shepard nudges Adam as she changes the subject quickly, "Are you packed?"

"I've been scouring the hell out of this place for things to take with me. Even managed to score a Wii so that I can stay out of the way when all the important shit goes down."

"A Wii? What the hell, Adam?" I shake my head, "You knew that Dylan was going to be left here and you were more worried about a flipping video game thing?"

"Amber it's not like I have a damn say in this." Adam looks to Jane, "I should give y'all a minute, hunh?"

"Go play with your damn Wii while I sit here and try to understand why in the hell Jane is singling out my Dylan." Glaring at her I watch Adam slowly back away. "What's wrong with Dylan, Jane? Why isn't he good enough for you and Adam is?"

"It's not personal. We just can't have that many bodies on board, and he makes you emotional. I told you, we are alike in so many ways and I can't have you doing something stupid at the last minute. Casey has already arranged for him to stay here and develop technology that will benefit human kind in the long run."

"He's staying here?" I ask her, trying to keep my emotions in check as I feel a tug in my chest, I wasn't going to let my heart break here in front of my brother and Jane.

"He might make you do something stupid that would cause you or the rest of my team to get killed."

"So you can have your boyfriend but I can't? It's okay to take Adam because he's with you, but Dylan has to stay here because you think that's what's best for him?" I try not to raise my voice as I feel butterflies start to form in my stomach. Digging my nails into my palms I try to stop myself from saying something I was going to later on regret.

"I'm telling you that it's not personal. Take it for what it is, Amber. I don't want him on my ship."

"Did I do something to you to deserve this?" I ask with a hint of hurt in my voice, "Is there a reason that you don't want to see me happy?"

"That has nothing to do with it."

"Then what is it?" I can hear myself start to escalate. "What is it that makes him being there different from Adam or Amiee?" There wasn't a reason, there was nothing that she could say that would cause my stance on this to falter.

"I don't want to see you making some radical decision-" Jane starts to reiterate as the control I had been holding onto slips from me like sand between my fingers.

"Like when I threw myself in front of a gun to save you? I guess that move is reserved for selfish bitches with bright red hair and not for anyone else that I could care about!" I was now screaming. "You have no right to tell me how to live my life, or to tell me what decisions I have to make! You're unfair! This is all so unfair!" Jane was near emotionless as I felt the sting of my eyes starting to water. The anger and frustration from the idea of floating on some metal tube out in the middle of nowhere without him was enough to make me cast aside any shred of self control I had left.

"This is the exact reason I am saying no." Jane shook her head, "I need you to detach yourself from him in order for you to fulfill your role as part of my team. He will be a liability, one that I'm not willing to take." I feel like screaming at her, like clawing her face off with my own two hands.

Then out of nowhere the truth of the situation barrels over me, this is exactly why he can't go. I would die for him. Jane was right, I would throw everything else to the side when I was faced with the decision of saving his life. The reapers, Cerberus, the team I would be working with would all be paltry in comparison to what him being there beside me would mean. I stood there in silence, letting the words that Lucas had spoken eat at the core of my existence. This was the choice I would have to make.

_Stupid Canadian bastard_.

"What did you tell him?" I ask softly while a sickness settles in my middle. I had hoped that she had given him a good explanation that he would be able to swallow while I left whatever future we had together behind.

"I haven't told him anything. That's something you are going to have to do, Amber. You have to make him understand that this is goodbye."

"You're going to make me do this?" It was almost a whisper as I let the words breathe out of me. She was going to make me break the love of my life's heart.

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I took a deep breath as I tried to find some semblance of peace in a quiet corner of Casey Hudson's elaborate underground prison. I was avoiding the obvious situation that Jane was forcing me into by staying clear of Dylan all together. The last time we had spoken it had ended in him actually cursing at me before he stormed out of the room with me unable to chase after him.

Knowing my Dylan, enough time had passed for us to address the issues from our last argument and add in the latest dilemma that we had to confront together. Most couples had a list of things that they would discuss as their time to graduate from college drew near and they prepared to head into society as well rounded young adults. _Marriage, kids, family, careers_… the ideas of what contended for a spot as normal brought a smile to my face as I started to list our most recent dilemmas that Dylan and I had argued over.

_Let's see : Picking up a random woman pointing a gun in your face, having a multi millionaire friend try to get you all killed that you downplayed your relationship with... oh don't forget the whole biotic death wish and getting shot in your chest in order to save some video game character that shouldn't even exist in the first place. This is so a normal list. _

Deciding that I couldn't put off the inevitable any longer, I began to head in the direction of the rec room. Dylan would have needed somewhere to clear his head and distract himself as he sifted through the ashes that came from the wake of our last scuffle. It wasn't difficult to find the red door at the end of a long hallway. I almost laughed at that fact it was labeled with big bold letters in day glow yellow in order to stand out in from the other stark white doors that littered the facility.

I reached for the silver handle and paused as I replayed the scene from earlier that day. This was the moment that I had been dreading since Jane had uttered the words "good bye" and I had slinked away to find somewhere I could let myself think things through. Resting one of my hands on the handle, I peered into the small window to make sure that he was even in there trying to hide from the rest of the outside world. I could feel my heart race as my eyes found the only person in the entire room sitting on the navy blue couch, leaning forward with his hands cupped around his face and his fingers in his hair.

"Dyl?" I whisper as I crack open the door, "Babe, you okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." Dylan brings his hands forward and over his face as he hears my voice, "Have you been looking for me long?"

"Not really." My voice was almost inaudible as I walked over to the sofa. I felt my heart leaping further into my throat with every step I was taking towards him with total awareness of what I was about to do. I tried to scan the room for something else to focus on in order to settle my nerves as I find where Adam had snagged the Wii he had found earlier that day. I shook my head for a moment as I told myself that this moment with Dylan was going to be one of the last ones I was sure to get, and that I needed to make it count now more than ever.

"I didn't exactly take it easy on you this time, hon." He hadn't even made eye contact with me as I took my place on the cushion beside him. "I couldn't see past everything when you woke up. It was like all the emotions I hadn't dealt with decided to show up at the same time and I couldn't control the words that came out of my mouth."

"It's fine Dyl." I tell him gently as I place my hand on his shoulder, "We always manage to get through these things. Why would this time be any different?" I gave a half-hearted smile as I waited for him to look at me and make my heart flutter like he had so many times before.

"I already know what you are going to tell me. I've talked with Casey about what my role will be here after the rest of you leave." There was not an inkling of emotion in his voice as I traced my fingers down his arm.

"And what exactly, is that going to be?"

"I'll be taking over what your friend Lucas has been doing here." Dylan tilts his head to the side to look at me as he takes a deep breath. "Head of technological development or something."

"Well, at least I won't have to ever worry about you wanting for anything." The words almost tasted bitter as they came off my tongue. I hated trying to see the positive in something that was about to leave a gaping hole in the person I had become by being with him for so long.

"No, I can't say that you will ever have to worry about me crossing your mind again really."

"Dylan," I reach for him as he stands up, "You have to understand that this isn't my choice. What am I supposed to do?"

"Not give up, maybe? I don't know." He turns away from me as I shake my head.

"Do you honestly think that I want to leave you here like this? I can't see past telling you goodbye." I can already feel myself start to tremble as I stare at his back, "I picked you up on the way here because I couldn't imagine doing something like this without you and now..."

"Now you're moving on. I always knew that you were going to do something great with your life, but I always imagined that I would be around to see it." Dylan turns to face me, "I was wrong. I was wrong to think that we would see everything through to the end just like we always had. Ever since we decided to start dating we had been inseparable, and you're just letting all that go like it means nothing."

"Dyl..." Immediately I'm behind him with my arms around his waist. I press myself against him as I rest my head against his back and hold him tightly. "I don't want to let go of what we are, please understand that."

"This is where I am supposed to tell you that it's all okay and that I understand but..." He turns around and grasps my hands in his, "I don't feel that way. I don't think that you need to go anywhere. Just stay here with me and we can do this together."

"You're asking me to give up the opportunity to travel with Shepard and save the galaxy to just stay here?" I couldn't find the strength to tell him that I had asked to go with Jane in the first place. I wanted to go off on this adventure with her more than anything I could have ever imagined but I hadn't given thought to the idea of leaving someone I care about behind. I looked away from him and thought about the words that continued to ring true about a decision I would have to make between Shepard and someone I loved. "I... I can't. It's not something I can let pass me by."

"Then there really isn't much to talk about is there?" I didn't bother to look into his light blue eyes as he dropped my hands from his own.

"Ms. Boeshanz?" A young woman with jet black hair opened the door, "I was sent in here to find you and let you know that you are needed for boarding."

"Thanks." I nod my head as she respectfully closes the door. Taking a jagged breath I look at Dylan, "Will you walk with me?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I suppose I can do that." There wasn't much to be said from either of us as we ambled down the hall and towards the platform where the Normandy was located. Time was racing by so quickly now that everything was ending. As the ship came into view and the minutes we had together began to dwindle into nothing I could feel my eyes burn as my heart summoned forth tears that I refused to cave in to.

"Dyl..." I stop at the end of the hallway and whisper to him as the ship sat there in front of me. I looked at the fluorescent lighting glistening off the hull as tears filled my eyes. This was how my final moments would be spent with Dylan, standing in front of the ship that held my destiny and future while telling him that I would always remember him for the person he was.

"It's okay, Amber. This is what you wanted and I need you to be happy. It's the one thing that always mattered the most to me." I felt his fingers under my chin as he turned my head to him, "If letting you go means that you are happy, then I'm fine with that hon."

"How can you say that? You just..."

"It hurts to leave you, it doesn't mean that I'm not adult enough to deal with it. Just remember that no matter where you are or when you are, I will love you." His eyes smiled at me as I felt my lips press against his for the last time.

Pulling away from his soft caresses as the tears fell from my eyes, I grabbed onto the collar of my scrubs as I started to feel my chest ache. It wasn't the pain from where I had taken a bullet in order to save Jane, it was pain from where part of me was dying because I was leaving my first love. I walked away from him refusing to look back and see whatever emotion was being displayed on his face. Placing one foot in front of the other as I continued to try to reassure myself that this was the right thing to do for the both of us.

"You're doing what's necessary for the two of you." Jane tells me as I stand in front of her like a helpless child. I close my eyes and nod my head in agreeance with her words that sounded so hallow. "We all have to make decisions that hurt and be able to live with those calls. Just consider this one of those lessons you have to learn in life."

"Damn Amber, you're crying." Adam looked at me with a concerned expression on his goofy face, "You love him that much that you would actually cry over him? I mean I've never seen you this upset over anyone."

"I do love him. I really, really do. He's more real to me that anything I've ever felt in my life." I let my eyes meet Jane's. At that moment I knew I had to do something or I wouldn't be able to stand living with myself, "And you know what... I'll be damned if I leave him here."

Jane started to give me the same lecture as earlier before I interrupted her. "Amber, I have already explained..."

"I don't care. If he doesn't step foot on that ship, then neither do I. That's the end of this. I took a bullet for you, brought here against all odds, and now I'm giving you a chance to finish what you started so long ago. Don't ask me to just walk away from one of the most important things that I've ever started and to throw all my time I spent with him away without some kind of fight. Either you let him come, or you go alone." This was what I should have said in the beginning rather than screaming at her. She was Jane Shepard and understood when someone refused to let their resolve falter in the face of poor odds, or at least that's what I was hoping.

"You understand what you're asking?" Jane said tensely as she looked at me eye to eye.

"I am asking you to take a chance on me, just like I did for you." Strength came through my voice as she started to smile. I watched as her eyes left mine and found Dylan behind me. She raised her right arm and motioned for him to come over. I tried not to let my nerves show as he came to stand right beside me. Without hesitation I grabbed his hand and interlocked my fingers in his, ready to make good on the words that I had just spoken.

"I assume your things are on board like we discussed earlier?" Jane let herself smile as she looked between Dylan and I.

"Yes, I took care of that hours ago." I glared at Dylan with surprise as he started to flush red. There was no mistaking what she had just asked him. She started to lightly laugh at my reaction as things became more clear.

"Good, then we can all leave as soon as she's done making a big deal out of this." Jane turned to go up stairs, "Not a bad little joke for someone who's a spiteful redheaded bitch, hunh Amber?"

"What?" I ask in total shock as I let go of Dylan's hand, "Tell me what's going on here, Shepard!" I was almost screaming as she continued going up step by step to get on board the Normandy.

"I needed to know that you could stand up for what you wanted, even against me. This was always the plan. You didn't really think I was _that _heartless did you?" I couldn't make the words come out as she disappeared out of my sight with Adam in tow.

"You..." I look at Dylan who is rubbing his neck and avoiding meeting my eyes, "You were in on this whole thing?"

"Babe, it wasn't my idea it was hers. I didn't think you would really just leave me like that." He starts to laugh as he pulls me over to him. "Did you really believe it would be that easy to get rid of me after everything we've been through together over the past few years?"

"Dylan, never, ever do anything like this to me ever again." I couldn't help but smile as I look up at him knowing that our adventure was far from being over, "Now, let's get on the ship and do this just like we do everything else... Together."

_One Friday night I was driving home from work when this crazy lady in cosplay tried to carjack me. Now I'm headed across the country to Canada with her and my brother, who can't seem to keep his damn mouth shut and his hands off of her. _

_**A/N I want to thank you all for reading and helping me grow immensely as an author over the time it took me to compose this story. To Amy, Dylan, and Lucas- I love you all and thank you for every moment of inspiration you have given me. XOXO - Amber** _


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